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The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that protective netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

At least 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—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 more than 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, according to press accounts.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the catastrophic blaze...rather than muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, per a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be at least 65 years old. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 people died.