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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 tragic inferno that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that construction site netting surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they did not hear a smoke detector when the incident started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal amassed over 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, comprising a past council member, were also questioned by officers, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...rather than silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was built in 1983 and had offered nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be over 65 years old. Several have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 people lost their lives.