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Authorities in the city have taken into custody thirteen people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with last week’s devastating fire, amid growing criticism over the detentions of civilians calling for responsibility.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation continues. About 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, spurred on by revelations that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a year.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, noncompliant netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to profit at the expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety violations mount, 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 members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by security forces.

One individual, identified as a local student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Local media said the student was detained 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”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

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

Several users made parallels to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by targeting the individual who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

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

Prior to the arrests, officials had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals using vehicles and public transport to bring in mountains of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the area, and government officials eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of past campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

The individual informed reporters that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

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