🔗 Share this article

Officials in Hong Kong have detained thirteen people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing criticism over the detentions of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, following the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. Approximately 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to nearly 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 revelations that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested samples of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” he said.

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were allegedly arrested by national security police.

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

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

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

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they involve state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “National security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the building,” said one.

Some commenters made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually punished with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by targeting the person who asks questions, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests came after warnings by security officials that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “anti-China” sentiment.

Prior to the detentions, officials had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals using vehicles and transit to deliver large quantities of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, officers were monitoring the area, and government officials soon took over from the volunteer organisers.

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

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

“If these ideas are deemed subversive or ‘crossing the line’, 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.