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Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amidst increasing criticism over the arrests of civilians calling for 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 most fatal blaze in 75 years. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb higher as the search goes on. Approximately 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to almost 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has grown over reported previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found samples were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two members of the public were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, identified as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

Local media said the individual was arrested for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

Local media also reported 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 on the internet” that were aimed to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On local online platforms, people criticised the arrests of civilians. “National security must be given precedence even if the dead are still trapped in the structure,” said a comment.

Several users made parallels to mainland China. “There, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the person who raises the question, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be exploiting the tragedy to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Prior to the detentions, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized relief efforts, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the area, and government officials eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly detained was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous campaigns but did not call for political change.

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

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