🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing criticism over the arrests of citizens demanding accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven-building complex 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 reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the operation goes on. About forty people are still missing.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the work for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found samples were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Answers

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, residents have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were allegedly taken into custody by security forces.

A person, named as a local 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 corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the law”.

News outlets also covered the arrest of a former district councillor.

Government Statement on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Since we are aligning with mainland China’s methods, by targeting the person who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Following the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

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

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly detained was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the language of past campaigns but did not call for systemic reform.

The student informed media that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he said.