🔗 Share this article

The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, comprising the senior figures of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. Hence we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and required over 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have stated they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire started. The city's fire department determined that alarms in every tower were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An digital signature drive amassed more than 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also detained by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the tragic incident...rather than silencing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.