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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has put on hold works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an separate review into the fire. An internet-based appeal collected over 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a former district councillor, were also detained by authorities, per press accounts.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are thought to be older than 65 years old. Several have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.

The city's second-worst blaze on file claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees perished.