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Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with last week’s devastating fire, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Fatalities Rises

Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the search continues. About forty people are still missing.

Renovations Connected with Fire’s Cause

The estate, home to almost five thousand people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by revelations that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

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

Substandard Materials Uncovered

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been put in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, identified as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible public servants.

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

News outlets also reported the detention of a former district councillor.

Government Statement on Arrests

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to undermine national security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Drawn

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be given precedence even if the dead are still buried in the building,” said a comment.

Several users made parallels to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’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 Community Response

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

Before the arrests, officials had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals using vehicles and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were monitoring the area, and government officials soon assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the student was reportedly detained was launched late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of previous protest movements but did not advocate political change.

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

“Should these suggestions are considered seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I cannot foresee the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is correct,” he said.