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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these gaps are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and required over 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the investigation could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive amassed over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by police, according to news outlets.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 inhabitants, based on a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years old. A number have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on file took 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 people perished.