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Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing criticism over the detentions of civilians calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Emergency services continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in the Tai Po district on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The death toll rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb higher as the search goes on. About forty people are still missing.

Construction Work Linked to Fire’s Cause

The estate, housing nearly five thousand people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and poor oversight of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Corporate Executives

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested thirteen people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an technical advisor of a construction company, and had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that seven of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Initial testing had found samples were compliant, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, noncompliant material had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to profit at the expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Detained Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside reports that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have questioned why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Instead, two members of the public were allegedly taken into custody by national security police.

One individual, named as a local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four demands” for assured assistance for the victims and responsibility for those at fault, including any negligent or culpable public servants.

Reports said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not confirm the detention, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

Local media also reported the detention of a ex-local representative.

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were intended to undermine national security. “Therefore, we must take necessary steps, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they concern national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Made

On local online platforms, people condemned the detention of citizens. “State security must be prioritised even if the victims are still buried in the structure,” said one.

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “They are typically met with heavy sentences. Stability overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s approach, by dealing with the individual who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Volunteer Efforts

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

Before the arrests, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier protests, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, volunteer supporters rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals employing cars and public transport to bring in large quantities of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the victims.

However, by evening, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

The individual told reporters that he was only “proposing fundamental demands”.

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