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Officials in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with last week’s devastating fire, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. About 40 people are still missing.

Construction Work Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

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

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, substandard netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to profit at the cost of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety violations grow, alongside reports that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no officials have yet been held accountable. Instead, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, identified as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or responsible government officials.

Local media said the student was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not verify the detention, 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.

Government Statement on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Drawn

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be given precedence even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said one.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are following the mainland’s methods, by targeting the individual who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions came after warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to stir up “anti-China” feelings.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Following the suppression of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and transit to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities soon took over from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the language of past protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual informed reporters that he was only “proposing very basic demands”.

“If these ideas are considered seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I can’t predict the consequences of anything any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is correct,” he stated.