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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, days after the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. About forty people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing nearly 5,000 people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has grown over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by revelations that occupants had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, substandard netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety violations grow, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly arrested by national security police.

A person, named as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the student was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in compliance with the legal framework”.

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

Government Statement on Arrests

Asked about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to undermine national security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they concern national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Drawn

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Stability trumps everything.”

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

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The detentions followed advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to stir up “anti-China” sentiment.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals using vehicles and transit to deliver large quantities of garments, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, armed police were monitoring the area, and government officials eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly arrested was launched late on Friday. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of past protest movements but did not call for political change.

The individual told reporters that he was only “putting forward very basic demands”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is correct,” he stated.