🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have taken into custody 13 individuals on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s catastrophic blaze, amid growing public outcry over the detentions of citizens calling for responsibility.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams persisted in combing through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities reached one hundred and fifty-one and is anticipated to climb higher as the search goes on. Approximately 40 people are currently unaccounted for.

Renovations Connected with Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, housing almost five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been linked to the origin of the blaze. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the location and poor oversight of safety codes, fuelled by disclosures that residents had been complaining about the renovations for a twelve months.

Those Detained Include Corporate Executives

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

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that seven of 20 tested samples of the mesh netting used around the towers did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Initial testing had found samples were up to code, but the spokesperson said the cheaper, noncompliant netting had been put in areas hard to reach in order to avoid discovery, describing it as a “shameful act”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Demands for Answers

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, the public have questioned why no officials have yet faced consequences. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly taken into custody by security forces.

A person, named as a Hong Kong student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the victims and responsibility for those at to blame, including any negligent or responsible public servants.

Local media said the student was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the detention, saying only that they “will take actions according to the situation and in accordance with the law”.

News outlets also reported the detention of a former district councillor.

Government Statement on Detentions

Asked about the detentions, the secretary of security said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to threaten public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the secretary told a media briefing. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve state security.”

Social Media Response and Comparisons Drawn

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

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “There, such acts are termed ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Stability trumps everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s approach, by dealing with the person who raises the question, nobody will dare to ask, and thus the city's administration will have no problems.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

The detentions came after advisories by security officials that they would take action against anyone deemed to be exploiting the incident to stir up “hostile” sentiment.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the public reaction. Since the quelling of earlier protests, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the immediate aftermath, community volunteers rapidly established aid operations, with many individuals using vehicles and public transport to bring in large quantities of garments, food and other necessities for the victims.

However, by evening, armed police were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The appeal over which the individual was allegedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four demands” echoed the terminology of previous protest movements but did not call for systemic reform.

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

“Should these suggestions are considered subversive or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of anything any more, and I can only do what I truly believe is right,” he said.