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The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the probe could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire broke out. Local firefighters determined that warning systems in each building were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was among a group calling for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also detained by police, per news outlets.

Global Response

The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...rather than suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be older than 65 years old. Some have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on file took 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 individuals died.