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Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amid growing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Rises

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise higher as the operation goes on. About forty people are currently missing.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The estate, housing nearly five thousand people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has grown over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and lax enforcement of standards, spurred on by revelations that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard material had been put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several seemingly ignored cautions, residents have questioned why no officials have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or responsible public servants.

Local media said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

Local media also covered the detention of a ex-local representative.

Government Statement on Arrests

Questioned about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements 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. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the individual 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 arrests came after advisories by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be using the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Prior to the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals employing vehicles and transit to deliver mountains of garments, food and other necessities for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials soon took over from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual told reporters that he was only “putting forward fundamental requests”.

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