🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have taken into custody thirteen people on suspected charges of involuntary manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the arrests of citizens calling for accountability.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Climbs

Emergency services persisted in combing through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on Monday, following the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities reached 151 and is anticipated to climb further as the search goes on. Approximately forty people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Fire’s Cause

The estate, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been associated with the fire’s cause. In the wake of the tragedy, public fury has escalated over reported past safety violations by the contractor working at the site and poor oversight of standards, fuelled by disclosures that occupants had been complaining about the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

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

Substandard Materials Uncovered

A senior official stated that 7 of twenty tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found materials were compliant, but the spokesperson said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been installed in areas hard to reach in order to evade detection, labeling it a “shameful act”.

“They just wanted to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” the official stated.

Civilians Detained Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses grow, 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 civilians were allegedly arrested by national security police.

A person, identified as a Hong Kong 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 corrupt or responsible public servants.

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

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

Official Response on Detentions

Asked about the arrests, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments on the internet” that were intended to threaten national security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including police action,” the official told a media briefing. “Specifics of the operation cannot be revealed as they involve national security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

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

Some commenters made parallels to mainland China. “There, such acts are termed ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually punished with heavy sentences. Social order trumps everything.”

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

Heightened Sensitivity and Volunteer Efforts

The arrests came after warnings by national security authorities that they would take action against anyone considered to be exploiting the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Prior to the detentions, officials had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. Following the suppression of earlier protests, public assemblies have been strictly regulated. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized relief efforts, with hundreds of people using vehicles and public transport to deliver large quantities of clothes, supplies and other essentials for the survivors.

However, by nightfall, armed police were patrolling the area, and public authorities eventually took over from the community coordinators.

The petition over which the student was reportedly detained was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of past campaigns but did not advocate systemic reform.

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

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