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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

At least 13 individuals have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. Hence we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it started, and required over 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the investigation could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident started. Local firefighters found that alarms in each building were operating inadequately.

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

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering demanding an separate review into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal collected more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also questioned by officers, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 occupants, based on a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the government-supported development from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on record claimed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees died.