🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the arrests of civilians demanding responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached 151 and is anticipated to climb higher as the operation continues. About forty people are currently missing.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by revelations that occupants had been complaining about the work for a year.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, authorities said anti-corruption authorities had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A top administrator stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found materials were up to code, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant 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,” he said.

Citizens Detained Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety violations mount, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two civilians were reportedly taken into custody by security forces.

One individual, named as a local student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four demands” for guaranteed support for the victims and accountability for those at to blame, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

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

Local media also covered the arrest of a ex-local representative.

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to threaten public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

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

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually punished with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the person who asks questions, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed warnings by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be exploiting the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Prior to the arrests, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Following the suppression of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people employing cars and public transport to deliver mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities soon took over from the volunteer organisers.

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

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

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