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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

At least 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these gaps are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department determined that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An online petition amassed more than 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, per local media reports.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the local government to openly examine the causes of the devastating fire...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, based on a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have lived in the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-deadliest fire on in history claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.