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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and took over 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire erupted. The city's fire department discovered that warning systems in every tower were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now works on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition collected over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, including a ex-local representative, were also detained by police, as reported by local media reports.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to openly examine the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in the early 1980s and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 occupants, per a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be over 65 years of age. Several have resided in the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on file took 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.