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Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to the recent devastating fire, amidst growing criticism over the arrests of citizens demanding responsibility.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Fatalities Rises

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise higher as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, housing almost five thousand people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has escalated over alleged previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested 13 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 Uncovered

A senior official stated that 7 of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found materials were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have asked why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and responsibility 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 detention, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the legal framework”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were aimed to undermine national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be prioritised even if the dead are still trapped in the structure,” said one.

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by targeting the individual who asks questions, no one will venture to question, and therefore the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity 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 “anti-China” feelings.

Before the arrests, officials had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to deliver mountains of garments, food and other essentials for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, armed police were monitoring the area, and government officials soon assumed control from the community coordinators.

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

The student told reporters that he was only “putting forward very basic requests”.

“If these ideas are considered subversive or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he stated.