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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight residential blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that protective netting installed on the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could last three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire started. The city's fire department discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, per press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the origins of the devastating fire...rather than silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years old. Several have lived in the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.