🔗 Share this article

Officials in Hong Kong have detained thirteen individuals on suspected charges of manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amid increasing public outcry over the arrests of citizens demanding accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the search goes on. About 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Renovations Linked to Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, housing nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, anger has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of standards, spurred on by disclosures that occupants had been complaining about the renovations for a year.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, officials said the anti-graft agency had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the executives and an technical advisor of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, noncompliant netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, describing it as a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to profit at the cost of human lives,” he said.

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside reports that official bodies had issued multiple seemingly ignored cautions, the public have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were allegedly arrested by security forces.

A person, identified as a local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the affected families and accountability for those at to blame, including any negligent or culpable government officials.

Local media said the student was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement did not verify the detention, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in compliance with the legal framework”.

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

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were intended to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the official told a press conference. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Made

On local online platforms, people criticised the arrests of civilians. “National security must be prioritised even if the dead are still buried in the structure,” said one.

Several users made parallels to mainland China. “The mainland, such acts are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Social order trumps everything.”

Another said: “Since we are following the mainland’s methods, by dealing with the individual who raises the question, no one will venture to question, and therefore Hong Kong’s governance will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed warnings by security officials that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Before the detentions, 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, volunteer supporters quickly organized relief efforts, with hundreds of people employing cars and public transport to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the community coordinators.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four points” mirrored the terminology of previous campaigns but did not advocate political change.

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

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