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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the probe could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a emergency siren when the incident started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by officers, per press accounts.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the local government to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 occupants, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be over 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on file 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 sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees died.