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Officials in the city have detained 13 individuals on suspicion of manslaughter related to the recent devastating fire, amidst increasing criticism over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise higher as the operation continues. About forty people are currently missing.

Construction Work Connected with Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing almost five thousand people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment that have been linked to the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the official said the cheaper, substandard material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Arrested Amid Demands for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, identified as a local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the affected families and responsibility for those at to blame, including any negligent or responsible public servants.

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

Local media also reported the arrest of a former district councillor.

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, 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 local online platforms, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “National security must be prioritised even if the dead are still buried in the structure,” said a comment.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Stability trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed advisories by security officials that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “anti-China” feelings.

Before the arrests, authorities had already begun showing heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with hundreds of people employing vehicles and public transport to deliver mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually took over from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the student was reportedly detained was launched late on Friday. Its “four points” mirrored the terminology of past campaigns but did not call for political change.

The individual told media that he was only “putting forward fundamental demands”.

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