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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

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 rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are currently missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, public fury has grown over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of 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. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

“Their sole aim was to profit at the cost of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued multiple apparently ignored cautions, residents have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were allegedly arrested by security forces.

One individual, identified as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the affected families and responsibility for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify 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 ex-local representative.

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were intended to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Made

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be given precedence even if the dead are still buried in the building,” said a comment.

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

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

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed advisories by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the incident to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Prior to the arrests, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Following the quelling of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people using vehicles and transit to deliver large quantities of clothes, supplies and other necessities for the survivors.

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

The petition over which the individual was reportedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the language of past campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

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

“Should these suggestions are considered subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I cannot foresee the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he said.