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Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amid growing criticism over the arrests of civilians calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po 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 expected to rise further as the search continues. Approximately forty people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the location and lax enforcement of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety lapses grow, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued several apparently unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at fault, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the individual was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

News outlets also covered the arrest of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were intended to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

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

Some commenters made parallels to mainland China. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are following the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the person who raises the question, no one will dare to ask, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed advisories by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be using the tragedy to stir up “anti-China” sentiment.

Before the arrests, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the suppression of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized aid operations, with many individuals using vehicles and public transport to bring in mountains of garments, food and other essentials for the victims.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” mirrored the terminology of past protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual told reporters that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

“Should these suggestions are considered subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he stated.