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

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, days after the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb higher as the operation goes on. About 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Renovations Connected with Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has escalated over alleged previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the official said the cheaper, substandard netting had been installed in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, residents have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two civilians were reportedly arrested by security forces.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the affected families and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible public servants.

Reports said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

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

Some commenters made parallels to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

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

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions came after warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Before the arrests, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and transit to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and government officials eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the student 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 told media that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

“If these ideas are considered subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he stated.