🔗 Share this article

Officials in the city have detained thirteen people on suspected charges of manslaughter related to the recent catastrophic blaze, amidst growing public outcry over the arrests of citizens demanding accountability.

Search Continues as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams continued to search through the seven-building complex of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po on the start of the week, following the most fatal blaze in seven and a half decades. The number of fatalities rose to 151 and is anticipated to climb higher as the search goes on. Approximately forty people are currently unaccounted for.

Construction Work Connected with Fire’s Cause

The housing complex, home to nearly 5,000 people, had been undergoing extensive renovations that have been linked to the fire’s cause. In the aftermath, public fury has escalated over alleged past safety violations by the construction company working at the site and poor oversight of safety codes, fuelled by revelations 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 tragedy so far, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and had “promptly initiated comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter”.

Safety Failures Uncovered

A top administrator stated that 7 of 20 tested specimens of the scaffolding net used around the towers did not meet fire-retardant standards. Preliminary checks had found samples were compliant, but the official said the less expensive, noncompliant material had been installed in areas difficult to access in order to avoid discovery, labeling it a “deplorable deed”.

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

Citizens Arrested Amid Calls for Accountability

As allegations of safety lapses grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple seemingly unenforced warnings, residents have questioned why no government figures have yet been held accountable. Conversely, two members of the public were allegedly arrested by security forces.

One individual, identified as a local student, was detained over an internet appeal that made “four requests” for guaranteed support for the affected families and responsibility for those at to blame, including any corrupt or culpable public servants.

Reports said the student was arrested for “seditious intention”. Law enforcement did not verify the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the legal framework”.

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

Official Response on Detentions

Questioned about the arrests, the secretary of security said there had been “misleading statements online” that were aimed to undermine public security. “As a result, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” the official told a press conference. “Operational details cannot be revealed as they concern state security.”

Public Reaction and Comparisons Drawn

On local online platforms, people criticised the detention of citizens. “National security must be prioritised even if the dead are still buried in the structure,” said a comment.

Some commenters made parallels to the Chinese mainland. “The mainland, such acts are called ‘creating disturbances’,” said one commenter. “It’s usually met with severe penalties. Stability trumps everything.”

Another said: “Now that we are aligning with the mainland’s methods, by targeting the individual who raises the question, nobody will venture to question, and thus Hong Kong’s governance will have no issues.”

Increased Scrutiny and Community Response

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

Before the arrests, authorities had already demonstrated heightened sensitivity to the community response. Since the quelling of earlier unrest, civilian gatherings have been tightly controlled. In the days following the fire, community volunteers quickly organized relief efforts, with hundreds of people using cars and transit to deliver mountains of clothes, food and other necessities for the victims.

Nevertheless, by evening, armed police were monitoring the vicinity, and public authorities eventually assumed control from the volunteer organisers.

The petition over which the individual was allegedly arrested was launched on Friday evening. Its “four points” echoed the terminology of previous campaigns but did not call for political change.

The student informed media that he was only “putting forward fundamental requests”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I believe I can’t predict the outcomes of any action any more, and I can only do what I sincerely think is correct,” he said.