🔗 Share this article

Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amid increasing criticism over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll reached 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation goes on. Approximately forty people are currently missing.

Renovations Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing almost five thousand people, had been in the midst of major refurbishment 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 site and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the tragedy so far, including the executives and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A senior official stated that seven of twenty tested samples of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, substandard netting had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

“Their sole aim was to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Answers

As allegations of safety violations mount, alongside reports that government authorities had issued several seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two civilians were allegedly taken into custody by security forces.

One individual, identified as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

Reports said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in compliance with the legal framework”.

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

Government Statement on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements online” that were intended to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Parallels Drawn

On Hong Kong social media, people condemned the arrests of civilians. “State security must be given precedence even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said one.

Some commenters drew comparisons to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said a user. “They are typically punished with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following the mainland’s methods, by targeting the person who raises the question, no one will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests followed advisories by security officials that they would crack down on anyone considered to be using the tragedy to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Prior to the detentions, officials had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals employing cars and transit to deliver mountains of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

Nevertheless, by evening, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and government officials soon took over from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the student was reportedly detained was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the language of past campaigns but did not call for political change.

The student told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental requests”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the consequences of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is right,” he stated.