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Authorities in the city have detained 13 people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amid growing criticism over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, following the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, housing almost 5,000 people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, public fury has grown over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

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 engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings 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 put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“Their sole aim was to profit at the cost of human lives,” he said.

Civilians Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, residents have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, identified as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or responsible government officials.

Local media said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the legal framework”.

News outlets also covered the detention of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were aimed to threaten public security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On Hong Kong social media, people criticised the arrests of civilians. “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. “The mainland, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by targeting the individual who asks questions, nobody will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions came after advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “hostile” feelings.

Before the arrests, officials had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals using cars and transit to bring in mountains of garments, supplies and other essentials for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and public authorities eventually took over from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly arrested was launched late on Friday. Its “four points” echoed the language of past campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

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

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