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Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the detentions of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, following the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately forty people are still missing.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to nearly 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported 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.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an technical advisor 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 twenty tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found samples were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

“They just wanted to profit at the cost of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly ignored cautions, residents have asked why no officials have yet been held accountable. Instead, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by security forces.

A person, named as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or responsible public servants.

Reports said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in accordance with the law”.

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

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. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “National security must be given precedence even if the victims are still trapped in the structure,” said one.

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are following the mainland’s methods, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, nobody will venture to question, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests followed warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone deemed to be exploiting the incident to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and transit to bring in large quantities of garments, food and other essentials for the victims.

However, by evening, armed police were monitoring the vicinity, and government officials soon assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

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

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

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