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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amidst increasing public outcry over the detentions of civilians demanding accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise higher as the operation goes on. Approximately 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing almost 5,000 people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, 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 make money at the cost of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Calls for Answers

As accusations of safety violations grow, alongside reports that government authorities had issued several apparently unenforced warnings, residents have questioned why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at to blame, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said a user. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Social order overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions came after advisories by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be using the incident to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the community response. Following the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using cars and transit to bring in mountains of garments, food and other necessities for the victims.

However, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities soon assumed control from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the student was reportedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the language of previous protest movements but did not call for political change.

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

“If these ideas are deemed subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he said.