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Authorities in Hong Kong have detained thirteen people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amidst increasing public outcry over the detentions of citizens calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the search continues. About forty people are still unaccounted for.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing almost 5,000 people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been linked to the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the location and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, authorities said anti-corruption authorities 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 senior official stated that seven of twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“Their sole aim was to profit at the cost of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

A person, identified as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable government officials.

Local media said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in accordance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to undermine national security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Drawn

On local online platforms, people condemned the detention of citizens. “National security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said a comment.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “They are typically met with severe penalties. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, nobody will dare to ask, and thus the city's administration will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals using cars and public transport to deliver large quantities of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and government officials eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the individual was reportedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the language of previous campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

The individual told reporters that he was only “putting forward very basic demands”.

“If these ideas are considered seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the consequences of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he said.