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

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the estate—which was subject to major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting used around the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the directors of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department determined that alarms in each building were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was among a group calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also detained by authorities, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...rather than silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people perished.