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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. Hence we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the inquiry could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters found that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, police reportedly detained a individual on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, including a past council member, were also questioned by police, according to press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 occupants, based on a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Several have lived in the government-supported development from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 people lost their lives.