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Authorities in the city have detained 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Rises

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb higher as the search continues. About forty people are still unaccounted for.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to almost five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has grown over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, officials said the anti-graft agency had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that seven of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found samples were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been put in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

“Their sole aim was to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Civilians Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were allegedly taken into custody by security forces.

A person, identified as a local student, was detained 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 individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

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

Government Statement on Arrests

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were intended to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they concern national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

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

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

Another said: “Since we are aligning with mainland China’s approach, by targeting the individual who raises the question, nobody will venture to question, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

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

Prior to the arrests, officials had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to deliver mountains of garments, supplies and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials soon assumed control from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of past protest movements but did not advocate political change.

The student informed reporters that he was only “putting forward very basic requests”.

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