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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, most of the apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these deficiencies are plucked," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—advancing with speed both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service found that warning systems in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now works on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to sedition on Saturday. He was among a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal amassed in excess of 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also taken in by officers, per news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...rather than suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 residents, per a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Several have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 attendees died.