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Authorities in the city have detained 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, following the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the search continues. Approximately 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Cause of Blaze

The estate, 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 grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by disclosures that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that seven of twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the official said the cheaper, noncompliant netting 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 expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Calls for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, identified as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or responsible government officials.

Local media said the individual was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

Local media also reported the detention of a former district councillor.

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were aimed to undermine national security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

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

Some commenters made parallels to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Stability overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s methods, by targeting the person who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed warnings by security officials that they would take action against anyone considered to be using the incident to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Before the detentions, officials had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers quickly organized relief efforts, with many individuals using vehicles and public transport to deliver large quantities of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the victims.

However, by evening, officers were monitoring the area, and government officials soon assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the student was reportedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the language of past protest movements but did not call for political change.

The student informed media that he was only “putting forward fundamental demands”.

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