Hong Kong authorities Detains Thirteen on Suspected Charges of Manslaughter Over Residential Fires

Authorities in Hong Kong have taken into custody thirteen individuals on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to last week’s devastating fire, amid increasing criticism over the detentions of citizens calling for responsibility.

Ongoing Rescue Operations as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years. The number of fatalities rose to one hundred and fifty-one and is expected to rise higher as the operation continues. Approximately 40 people are still missing.

Renovations Connected with Cause of Blaze

The estate, home to nearly five thousand people, had been undergoing major refurbishment that have been associated with the origin of the blaze. In the aftermath, anger has escalated over reported past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and lax enforcement of safety codes, fuelled by revelations that residents had been voicing concerns over the work for a twelve months.

Arrests Include Company Directors

On Monday afternoon, officials said anti-corruption authorities had detained 13 people over the disaster so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a contracting firm, and had “immediately begun a thorough probe along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Revealed

A top administrator stated that seven of twenty tested specimens of the mesh netting used around the buildings did not meet flame-resistance requirements. Preliminary checks had found samples were compliant, but the official said the cheaper, noncompliant material had been put in areas difficult to access 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 accusations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued several apparently ignored cautions, residents have asked why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Instead, two members of the public were reportedly taken into custody by national security police.

A person, identified as a local student, was arrested over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for assured assistance for the affected families and responsibility for those at fault, including any negligent or responsible government officials.

Reports said the individual was detained for “seditious intention”. Police did not verify the detention, saying only that they “will act according to the situation and in compliance with the law”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the detentions, the security chief said there had been “inaccurate comments online” that were aimed to undermine public security. “Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the secretary told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be disclosed as they involve national security.”

Social Media Response and Parallels Made

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

Several users made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, these crimes are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “They are typically punished with heavy sentences. Stability overrides everything.”

A different user said: “Now that we are following mainland China’s methods, by targeting the person who asks questions, nobody will dare to ask, and therefore the city's administration will have no issues.”

Heightened Sensitivity and Community Response

The arrests came after advisories by national security authorities that they would crack down on anyone deemed to be using the tragedy to incite “hostile” feelings.

Before the detentions, authorities had already begun showing increased vigilance to the community response. 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 employing cars and transit to deliver mountains of garments, food and other necessities for the victims.

However, by nightfall, officers were patrolling the vicinity, and government officials soon assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the individual was reportedly arrested was initiated late on Friday. Its “four points” mirrored the language of previous campaigns but did not call for political change.

The individual informed media that he was only “putting forward fundamental demands”.

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