Hong Kong’s leader has ordered the establishment of an independent review committee, chaired by a judge, to investigate the cause of the deadly fire in Tai Po, which has so far claimed 151 lives.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday ahead of his weekly meeting with the city’s key decision-making Executive Council that authorities would set up the committee to find out the truth behind the blaze and enable a “systematic reform”.

“As criminal investigations are ongoing, I will set up an independent committee chaired by a judge to review why the fire broke out and spread so fast, and to prevent similar tragedies from happening again,” he said.

To ensure credibility, Lee added that he would be in touch with the judiciary to have a judge chair the committee, which will conduct its work in “high efficiency”.

Lee said he had identified eight areas requiring immediate review, including safety requirements, standards, supervision and routine maintenance of construction works.