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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, among them the directors of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the inquiry could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have reported they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in each building were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by officers, as reported by press accounts.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...rather than silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years old. Several have lived in the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people perished.