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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that protective netting used around the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it ignited, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the probe could take approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the incident erupted. The city's fire department found that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a gathering demanding an separate review into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a ex-local representative, were also detained by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had offered nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 occupants, per a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since its construction.

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