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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, among them the senior figures of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to ensure that all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in each building were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an separate review into the fire. An internet-based appeal collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also detained by officers, per local media reports.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to openly examine the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are estimated to be at least 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 people perished.