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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it started, and required in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have stated they failed to hear a smoke detector when the blaze started. Local firefighters discovered that warning systems in every tower were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition collected more than 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by officers, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the devastating fire...rather than silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be at least 65 years of age. A number have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals perished.