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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it began, and required over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the investigation could take approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire broke out. The city's fire department found that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a individual on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was among a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An internet-based appeal gathered over 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to transparently investigate the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.