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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

At least 13 suspects have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the investigation could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire erupted. The city's fire department determined that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition collected in excess of 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, according to a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. A number have resided in the public housing complex since its construction.

The city's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 people died.