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Officials in the city have taken into custody thirteen people on suspicion of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amidst increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens demanding accountability.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly 5,000 people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been linked to the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has grown over reported past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the official said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

“Their sole aim was to profit at the expense of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a local student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the legal framework”.

Local media also covered the detention of a former district councillor.

Government Statement on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to threaten national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Drawn

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the dead are still buried in the building,” said one.

Several users drew comparisons to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually punished with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are following mainland China’s methods, by targeting the person who asks questions, no one will venture to question, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to bring in mountains of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the area, and public authorities soon took over from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the student was reportedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the terminology of past campaigns but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

“Should these suggestions are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he stated.