🔗 Share this article

Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. Hence we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it started, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters found that detection devices in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, police reportedly detained a individual on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an separate review into the tragedy. An online petition collected in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, comprising a past council member, were also questioned by police, according to local media reports.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...rather than suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had provided nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 individuals died.