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Authorities in the city have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amidst increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Rises

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb higher as the operation continues. About 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has grown over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the location and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, substandard netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Accountability

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, residents have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

Local media said the student was arrested 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”.

Local media also covered the arrest 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. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Drawn

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

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the person who asks questions, nobody will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be exploiting the tragedy to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the arrests, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Following the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually took over from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was launched late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the terminology of previous campaigns but did not call for systemic reform.

The student told reporters that he was only “putting forward fundamental requests”.

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