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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 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 extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident erupted. The city's fire department determined that alarms in each building were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a group petitioning for an separate review into the fire. An digital signature drive 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 detained by authorities, per local media reports.

Global Response

The rights group and Another watchdog have both condemned the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history took 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals died.