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Officials in the city have detained 13 individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of civilians demanding accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations 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 seven and a half decades. The death toll rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, housing almost five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the work for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, substandard netting had been installed in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly ignored cautions, residents have asked why no officials have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two civilians were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, identified as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

Local media said the individual was arrested for “seditious intention”. Police did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

News outlets also reported the arrest of a ex-local representative.

Government Statement on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to undermine national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Drawn

On Hong Kong social media, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be given precedence even if the dead are still buried in the building,” said one.

Some commenters drew comparisons to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by targeting the person who raises the question, nobody will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The arrests followed advisories by security officials that they would crack down on anyone considered to be using the tragedy to stir up “anti-China” feelings.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals employing vehicles and transit to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

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

The petition over which the student was allegedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four points” mirrored the terminology of past campaigns but did not advocate political change.

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

“If these ideas are considered subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I cannot foresee the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he said.