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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight residential blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 people have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the senior figures of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

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

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to incitement on the weekend. He was among a gathering calling for an separate review into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a ex-local representative, were also questioned by police, per news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both condemned the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 inhabitants, based on a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are estimated to be older than 65 years old. Several have resided in the government-supported development from its inception.

The city's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees lost their lives.