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Authorities in the city have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspicion of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amidst increasing criticism over the detentions of citizens demanding accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Fatalities Climbs

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the operation goes on. Approximately forty people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to nearly five thousand people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been linked to 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 lax enforcement of safety codes, spurred on by revelations that residents had been complaining about the work for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Uncovered

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested samples 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 installed in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued several seemingly ignored cautions, residents have questioned why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, named as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at to blame, including any negligent or responsible public servants.

Reports said the individual was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not verify the detention, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

News outlets also reported the arrest of a former district councillor.

Official Response on Arrests

Questioned about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were aimed to threaten public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Made

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “National security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the building,” said a comment.

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

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

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by security officials that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and public transport to deliver large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by evening, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

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

The student informed media that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

“Should these suggestions are considered seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he said.