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Officials in Hong Kong have detained 13 individuals on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, following the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. About forty people are still missing.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, housing almost five thousand people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has grown over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by disclosures that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, noncompliant netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two members of the public were reportedly arrested by national security police.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to undermine national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Made

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

Some commenters made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by dealing with the person who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be exploiting the incident to stir up “anti-China” sentiment.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and transit to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and public authorities soon took over from the community coordinators.

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

The student informed reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental requests”.

“Should these suggestions are deemed subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I can’t predict the consequences of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is correct,” he stated.