🔗 Share this article

The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—which was subject to extensive renovations—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 suspects have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these gaps are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it started, and required over 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the probe could last several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they did not hear a emergency siren when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has put on hold works on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to local media reports.

Global Response

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

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, based on a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. Some have been occupants of the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when more than 600 individuals lost their lives.