🔗 Share this article

Officials in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter in connection with the recent devastating fire, amid growing public outcry over the detentions of citizens calling for responsibility.

Search Continues as Fatalities Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on the start of the week, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still unaccounted for.

Construction Work Linked to Cause of Blaze

The estate, home to nearly 5,000 people, had been in the midst of extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has grown over reported previous safety breaches by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by revelations that residents had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On the afternoon of Monday, authorities said the anti-graft agency had arrested 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “promptly initiated a thorough probe along the lines of involuntary manslaughter”.

Substandard Materials Revealed

A senior official stated that 7 of 20 tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, noncompliant material 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 expense of human lives,” the official stated.

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Answers

As accusations of safety lapses grow, alongside revelations that official bodies had issued several apparently ignored cautions, the public have questioned why no government figures have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by security forces.

A person, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an online petition that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and responsibility for those at to blame, including any negligent or responsible government officials.

Reports said the student was arrested for “inciting disaffection”. Police did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will act according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

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

Government Statement on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “misleading statements on the internet” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take necessary steps, including police action,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they concern national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

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

Several users drew comparisons to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said a user. “It’s usually met with heavy sentences. Social order overrides everything.”

Another said: “Since we are aligning with mainland China’s approach, by targeting the person who asks questions, no one will dare to ask, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The detentions came after advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the incident to incite “anti-China” feelings.

Before the arrests, officials had already demonstrated increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the suppression of earlier unrest, public assemblies have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established relief efforts, with many individuals employing cars and transit to deliver mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by nightfall, armed police were monitoring the vicinity, and government officials eventually took over from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the student was reportedly detained was initiated late on Friday. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

The individual informed reporters that he was only “proposing very basic requests”.

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