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Officials in the city have detained thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst increasing public outcry over the detentions of civilians demanding accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb further as the search goes on. Approximately 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had arrested 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Answers

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that official bodies 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 taken into custody by security forces.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the affected families and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

Reports said the individual was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “National security must be prioritised even if the dead are still trapped in the building,” said one.

Some commenters made parallels to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually punished with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are following the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, nobody will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The arrests followed advisories by security officials that they would take action against anyone considered to be exploiting the tragedy to stir up “hostile” feelings.

Before the detentions, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters quickly organized relief efforts, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to bring in mountains of garments, food and other essentials for the victims.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

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

The individual informed media that he was only “putting forward fundamental demands”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I feel I cannot foresee the consequences of anything any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he stated.