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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the probe could take several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident started. The city's fire department found that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was among a collective petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An internet-based appeal amassed more than 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also questioned by police, per press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to openly examine the origins of the devastating fire...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be older than 65 years old. A number have lived in the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees lost their lives.