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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area 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 151 and is expected to rise higher as the operation goes on. About 40 people are currently missing.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing almost five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator 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 materials were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, substandard material had been installed in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“Their sole aim was to make money at the expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Civilians Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two civilians were allegedly arrested by security forces.

One individual, named as a local student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the affected families and responsibility for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable government officials.

Reports said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

News outlets also covered the detention of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to threaten national security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Stability trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following the mainland’s approach, by targeting the person who raises the question, nobody will venture to question, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed warnings by security officials that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to stir up “hostile” feelings.

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals employing vehicles and transit to bring in large quantities of garments, supplies and other necessities for the victims.

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

The petition over which the student was reportedly arrested was launched late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of previous protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual informed media that he was only “proposing fundamental requests”.

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