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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 people have been taken into custody over suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these gaps are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the investigation could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. Local firefighters determined that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

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

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, among them a past council member, were also questioned by police, according to press accounts.

Global Response

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

"Now is the time for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 occupants, based on a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years old. A number have resided in the public housing complex since its construction.

The city's second-deadliest fire on in history took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees died.