Beijing warns against attempts to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’ as anger grows over deadly high-rise fire

Public anger over a deadly fire at a Hong Kong high-rise complex continued to swell on Sunday as Beijing cautioned against attempts to use the tragedy to unsettle the city. Communities across the financial hub kept mourning the more than 128 victims.

Police on Saturday detained one person from a group that had launched a petition calling for government accountability, an independent corruption probe, proper resettlement for residents and a review of construction oversight, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

University student Miles Kwan, 24, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to incite sedition in connection with the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court complex in northern Tai Po, the South China Morning Post reported.

Hong Kong police did not respond on Sunday to requests for comment. The online petition backed by the group had secured over 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon before being closed. A second petition with the same demands has since been launched by a Tai Po resident now living overseas. “Hongkongers demand the truth and justice,” wrote KY in the comments section of the new petition.

Security warnings and ongoing investigations

The fire, which tore through seven high-rise residential blocks near the mainland border, has shocked the city and prompted criminal and corruption investigations as dismay grows. The cause of the blaze, which killed 128 people and left 150 still missing, remains under investigation. Authorities remain alert to avoid a wider public backlash after the pro-democracy protests of 2019 and the subsequent Beijing-imposed national security law.

China’s national security authorities on Saturday warned individuals against using the disaster to “disrupt Hong Kong through disaster”, stating that anyone attempting to do so would be held accountable and punished under the national security law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Concerns over fire precautions and renovation materials

Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years, examining possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations at Wang Fuk Court. Rescue operations ended on Friday, though police said more bodies could be discovered as they continue to search the dangerous, burnt-out buildings. Hundreds of officers deployed to look for remains found no additional bodies but rescued three cats and a turtle, police officials said.

The fire began on Wednesday afternoon and quickly spread across seven of the eight 32-storey blocks, which were covered in bamboo scaffolding, green mesh and foam insulation for renovation works. Donations from companies and community groups have been pouring in for the victims. Authorities confirmed that fire alarms at the estate, home to more than 4,600 people, had not been functioning properly.

It is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze. Residents had been told last year that they faced “relatively low fire risks” after raising concerns about hazards linked to the renovation, the Labour Department said. In September 2024, residents warned of several risks, including the potential flammability of the protective green mesh used to cover the bamboo scaffolding, a department spokesperson added.