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Officials in the city have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with 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 continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, following the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise higher as the search continues. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The estate, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported past safety violations by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities 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 a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, noncompliant netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have questioned why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody 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 responsible public servants.

Reports said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

News outlets also reported the arrest of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to threaten national security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern 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 structure,” said one.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with mainland China’s methods, by targeting the individual who raises the question, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The arrests came after warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone considered to be exploiting the tragedy to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals employing cars and transit to deliver mountains of garments, supplies and other necessities for the victims.

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

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly detained was launched on Friday evening. Its “four demands” mirrored the language of previous campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

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

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