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Officials in Hong Kong have detained thirteen individuals on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s devastating fire, amidst growing public outcry over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services 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 seven and a half decades. The death toll rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. About 40 people are currently missing.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has escalated over alleged previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, officials 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 manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, residents have questioned why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, identified as a local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible government officials.

Local media said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the law”.

News outlets also covered the arrest of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be given precedence even if the victims are still trapped in the building,” said one.

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s methods, by targeting the individual who raises the question, nobody will venture to question, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

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

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Following the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using cars and public transport to deliver mountains of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the victims.

However, by evening, armed police were monitoring the area, and government officials soon assumed control from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the student was allegedly detained was launched late on Friday. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous campaigns but did not advocate political change.

The student told media that he was only “proposing very basic demands”.

“Should these suggestions are considered seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I feel I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he said.