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Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing criticism over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

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 151 and is anticipated to climb higher as the search continues. About forty people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Cause of Blaze

The estate, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has grown over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and lax enforcement of standards, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the official said the cheaper, noncompliant netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“Their sole aim was to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” he said.

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, residents have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at to blame, including any negligent or responsible public servants.

Local media said the student was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to threaten national security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Drawn

On local online platforms, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “State security must be prioritised even if the dead are still buried in the structure,” said one.

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Social order overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, no one will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to incite “hostile” sentiment.

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals employing cars and transit to deliver large quantities of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the survivors.

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

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the language of past campaigns but did not advocate political change.

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

“If these ideas 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 sincerely think is correct,” he said.