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Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll rose to 151 and is expected to rise higher as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by revelations that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested samples of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“Their sole aim was to make money at the cost of human lives,” he said.

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses mount, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable government officials.

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

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

Government Statement on Arrests

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On Hong Kong social media, people criticised the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the building,” said one.

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Stability overrides everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with mainland China’s methods, by dealing with the person who asks questions, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by security officials that they would take action against anyone deemed to be exploiting the incident to stir up “hostile” feelings.

Prior to the arrests, officials had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers quickly organized relief efforts, with many individuals using cars and public transport to bring in mountains of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the victims.

However, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly arrested was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the language of previous protest movements but did not advocate political change.

The student told reporters that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

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