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Authorities in the city have detained 13 individuals on suspicion of manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests 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 Tai Po on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The number of fatalities reached 151 and is anticipated to climb higher as the operation goes on. About forty people are currently missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has grown over reported previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by disclosures that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that 7 of 20 tested samples of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Answers

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, 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, named as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible government officials.

Reports said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in accordance with the legal framework”.

News outlets also reported the arrest of a former district councillor.

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they concern national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the victims are still trapped in the building,” said one.

Some commenters made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, such acts are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

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

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests came after warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Following the quelling of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with hundreds of people using vehicles and public transport to deliver mountains of garments, supplies and other essentials for the victims.

However, by nightfall, officers were monitoring the area, and government officials eventually took over from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the student was allegedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four points” mirrored the terminology of previous campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

The student told media that he was only “proposing fundamental requests”.

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