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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the directors of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have stated they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that warning systems in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was among a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by authorities, per news outlets.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 people died.