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Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to the recent devastating fire, amid increasing public outcry over the detentions of citizens demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

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 seven and a half decades. The death toll reached one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise further as the operation continues. About forty people are currently missing.

Construction Work Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, public fury has grown over alleged previous safety breaches by the contractor working at the location and lax enforcement of standards, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the tragedy so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested samples 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 put in areas difficult to access in order to evade detection, describing it as a “deplorable deed”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, residents have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by security forces.

A person, identified as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the affected families and responsibility for those at fault, including any corrupt or responsible 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 covered the detention of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to threaten public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Made

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

Some commenters drew comparisons to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and therefore the city's administration will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests came after warnings by security officials that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Before the detentions, officials had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the community response. Following the suppression of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals using cars and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, food and other necessities for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the area, and government officials eventually took over from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was reportedly arrested was launched late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the language of past campaigns but did not advocate political change.

The student informed reporters that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

“If these ideas are considered seditious or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is correct,” he said.