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Authorities in Hong Kong have detained 13 individuals on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amidst increasing public outcry over the arrests of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams 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, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. About forty people are currently missing.

Construction Work Connected with Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to almost five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with 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 lax enforcement of standards, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had detained thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, substandard netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to profit at the expense of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Answers

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have questioned why no officials have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and accountability for those at to blame, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

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

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

Government Statement on Arrests

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Made

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “State security must be given precedence even if the victims are still trapped in the building,” said a comment.

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following the mainland’s approach, by targeting the person who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

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

Prior to the detentions, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people employing cars and transit to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other essentials for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of previous campaigns but did not call for political change.

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

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