🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have detained 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the detentions of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The death toll rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation continues. About 40 people are still missing.

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 escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the site and lax enforcement of standards, spurred on by revelations that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, substandard material had been put in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

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

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible government officials.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “seditious intention”. Police did not confirm the detention, 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 former district councillor.

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said a comment.

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

Another said: “Since we are following mainland China’s methods, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, nobody will venture to question, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions followed warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be exploiting the tragedy to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and transit to deliver mountains of garments, supplies and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the individual was reportedly detained was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four demands” echoed the language of past campaigns but did not call for political change.

The student told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

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