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Authorities in the city have detained 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter related to the recent devastating fire, amidst increasing public outcry over the detentions of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

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, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. About forty people are still missing.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by revelations that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant 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 twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” he said.

Civilians Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, residents have asked 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 local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable government officials.

Reports said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the legal framework”.

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

Government Statement on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were intended to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Made

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

Some commenters made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, no one will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The detentions followed advisories by security officials that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be exploiting the tragedy to stir up “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the quelling of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals employing cars and public transport to bring in mountains of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the student was allegedly detained was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the language of previous campaigns but did not call for political change.

The individual informed media that he was only “putting forward very basic requests”.

“If these ideas are deemed subversive or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is correct,” he stated.