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Officials in Hong Kong have detained 13 people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the arrests of civilians calling for responsibility.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Fatalities Rises

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area 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 anticipated to climb further as the search continues. About forty people are currently missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, home to almost five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had detained thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation 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. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, residents have questioned why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong 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 negligent or culpable government officials.

Reports said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to threaten public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Drawn

On local online platforms, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the building,” said a comment.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually punished with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Since we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be using the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Following the quelling of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people using cars and transit to bring in large quantities of garments, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the area, and government officials soon took over from the volunteer organisers.

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

The student told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

“Should these suggestions are deemed subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is correct,” he stated.