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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it ignited, and required in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters discovered that detection devices in each building were operating inadequately.

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

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was among a gathering petitioning for an separate review into the fire. An online petition amassed more than 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also detained by authorities, per press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 occupants, based on a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file took 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals perished.