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Authorities in the city have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the detentions of citizens demanding accountability.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in the Tai Po district on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately forty people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of standards, spurred on by revelations that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been put in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

“Their sole aim was to profit at the expense of people’s lives,” he said.

Civilians Arrested Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several seemingly ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were allegedly arrested by security forces.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or responsible government officials.

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

Local media also covered the detention of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were intended to threaten national security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On local online platforms, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “State security must be given precedence even if the dead are still buried in the building,” said one.

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually punished with severe penalties. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with mainland China’s methods, by dealing with the person who raises the question, nobody will venture to question, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

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

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals employing cars and transit to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually took over from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the individual was reportedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of past protest movements but did not call for political change.

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

“Should these suggestions are considered seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is correct,” he stated.