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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Rises

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the search goes on. About 40 people are still missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, housing almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, substandard netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, the public have questioned why no officials have yet been held accountable. Instead, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

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

News outlets also reported the detention of a former district councillor.

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to undermine national security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

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

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

Another said: “Since we are following mainland China’s methods, by targeting the person who asks questions, no one will venture to question, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people employing cars and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

However, by evening, officers were patrolling the area, and public authorities eventually took over from the community coordinators.

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

The student told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

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