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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in various phases. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, approximately two days after it ignited, and required in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have stated they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire erupted. Local firefighters determined that detection devices in every tower were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was among a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also questioned by officers, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

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

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...rather than suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had offered nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 occupants, per a population count.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be older than 65 years old. Some have been occupants of the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 people perished.