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

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 people have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. Hence we must respond rigorously to make certain all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, approximately two days after it started, and took over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the inquiry could take several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. Local firefighters found that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to sedition on Saturday. He was among a gathering calling for an separate review into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also detained by authorities, per local media reports.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was completed in the early 1980s and had provided nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 residents, per a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years of age. Some have resided in the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 people lost their lives.