🔗 Share this article

Authorities in the city have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to the recent devastating fire, amidst growing public outcry over the detentions of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Fatalities Rises

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district on Monday, following the most fatal blaze in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the operation continues. Approximately forty people are currently unaccounted for.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The housing complex, home to nearly five thousand people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and poor oversight of safety codes, spurred on by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the work for a year.

Arrests Include Company Directors

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

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, noncompliant material had been put in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

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

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses mount, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, the public have asked why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by security forces.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong student, was arrested over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and accountability for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Local media said the individual was detained for “inciting disaffection”. Law enforcement 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 reported the detention of a ex-local representative.

Official Response on Arrests

Asked about the detentions, the secretary of security 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. “Specifics of the operation cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Drawn

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

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Stability overrides everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with mainland China’s approach, by targeting 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 Volunteer Efforts

The detentions followed advisories by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “anti-China” sentiment.

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the community response. Following the suppression of earlier protests, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with hundreds of people employing cars and transit to bring in mountains of clothes, food and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by evening, officers were monitoring the vicinity, and public authorities eventually took over from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the individual was reportedly arrested was initiated on Friday evening. Its “four demands” echoed the terminology of past protest movements but did not advocate systemic reform.

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

“Should these suggestions are deemed subversive or ‘transgressive’, then I believe I cannot foresee the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he stated.