Hong Kong arrests 13 over Tai Po apartment fire as death toll reaches 151

Hong Kong authorities have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with last week’s devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po, as criticism grows over the handling of the disaster and the arrests under national security laws of at least two civilians calling for accountability.

According to a Guardian report, emergency services continued searching through the seven towers of the estate on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years.

The confirmed death toll has risen to 151, with around 40 people still reported missing, added the report.

The estate, home to nearly 5,000 residents, had been undergoing extensive renovations linked to the fire’s cause. Public anger has intensified over alleged past safety violations by the construction company and lax enforcement of standards, with residents reportedly complaining about the renovations for over a year.

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On Monday, officials said Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities had arrested 13 individuals in connection with the disaster, including the directors and an engineering consultant of the construction firm.

Authorities said they had “immediately begun comprehensive investigation along the lines of manslaughter.”

Chief Secretary Eric Chan told The Guardian that seven of 20 samples of the mesh netting used in scaffolding around the towers failed fire-retardant standards.

While initial tests suggested compliance, Chan said noncompliant, cheaper netting had been installed in hard-to-access areas to evade inspection, calling the move a “shameful act.”

“They just wanted to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” he was quoted as saying.

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Officials under scanner

As allegations of safety violations grow, alongside revelations that government authorities had issued multiple apparently unenforced warnings, residents have asked why no officials have yet faced consequences. Instead, two civilians were reportedly arrested by national security police.

Miles Kwan, a Hong Kong student, was detained on Saturday over an online petition calling for support for victims and accountability for those responsible, including potentially corrupt officials.

Local media reported he was arrested for “seditious intention,” though police declined to confirm, saying only that actions would be taken “in accordance with the law.”

Kwan was seen leaving a police station on Monday, AFP reported.

Kenneth Cheung, a former district councillor, was also reportedly arrested on Sunday evening.

When asked about the arrests, Secretary of Security Chris Tang said authorities were responding to “inaccurate comments online” that threatened national security.

“Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures,” The Guardian quoted Tang as saying, adding that operational details could not be disclosed for security reasons.

Deadliest blaze since 1948

Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, Reuters quoted the city’s Labour Department as saying.

The residents raised concerns in September, 2024, including about the potential flammability of the mesh contractors used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze, has stunned the city, where legislative elections are due to be held this weekend.

With inputs from agencies