A Hong Kong fire at Wang Fuk Court killed 146 people, sparking public outrage. Citizens demand a fair and independent investigation. Student activist Miles Kwan was arrested under sedition law, intensifying protests and calls for accountability.
In the aftermath of Hong Kong’s deadliest residential fire in decades, grief and anger have surged across the city. At least 146 people died in the inferno at Wang Fuk Court, making it one of the deadliest residential building fires globally since 1980. Residents have flooded the streets to demand transparency, accountability, and a full, independent investigation, accusing authorities of negligence and systemic failure. Tensions intensified after 24-year-old student activist Miles Kwan, who had called for a fair probe, was reportedly arrested under Hong Kong’s national security law, further inflaming public distrust.
Activist’s Call for Investigation Sparks Public Support
Miles Kwan had been distributing flyers outside a busy train station on Friday, urging citizens to support an independent inquiry into the tragedy. He told AFP that Hong Kong was “riddled with holes, inside and out,” highlighting long-standing governance and safety issues.
The street campaign quickly expanded online, with a petition garnering over 10,000 signatures in a single day. Residents voiced that the disaster was preventable and demanded a judge-led investigation rather than an internal government review.
Reports of Sedition Arrest Add to Public Anger
By Saturday night, local Hong Kong media reported that Kwan had been arrested under suspicion of sedition by national security authorities. Shortly afterwards, the petition’s text was removed from online platforms.
While police did not confirm the activist’s detention, they stated that law enforcement would “take action according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law.” Earlier, Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong had accused “anti-China forces” of using the incident to deepen social divisions and incite public distrust.
When asked whether he feared being detained, Kwan said he was merely raising “very basic demands.” He added: “If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I cannot predict the consequences of anything anymore.”
Deadly Blaze Prompts Arrests and Questions Over Oversight
The fire tore through seven of the estate’s eight high-rise blocks, marking one of the gravest housing tragedies in Hong Kong’s history. Authorities have so far arrested 11 individuals linked to the incident, though officials have not provided full details of potential negligence or violations.
Activists handing out flyers have demanded that the government ensure proper resettlement for displaced residents, release full accountability findings and conduct a comprehensive review of construction oversight. They insist the disaster was not a mere accident, but the result of systemic failures that could and should have been prevented.
Calls Grow for Judge-Led Inquiry Instead of Internal Probe
Hong Kong has previously relied on judge-led public inquiries for large-scale tragedies, but in this case, the government has so far announced only an inter-departmental task force. Critics argue this lacks independence and credibility.
Imran Khan, a lawyer who represented survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in the United Kingdom, told AFP that “an internal investigation will not get to the truth.” Without transparency and accountability, he said, survivors and families “cannot grieve.”
Community Grieves as Anger and Distrust Persist
At the site of the tragedy, mourners continue to lay flowers, candles and handwritten notes. One message read: “This is not just an accident. It is the bitter fruit of an unjust system, which fell upon you. It is not right.”
As Hong Kong residents demand answers, the combination of heavy casualties, perceived government opacity and the possible suppression of dissent has transformed the fire from a tragic accident into a wider flashpoint over trust, governance and civil liberties in the city.
The first Sunday since the deadly inferno saw thousands flock to a small park next to the charred residential estate, which has become a focal point for grief over what was the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.
The queue of people, many dressed in dark colours and holding flowers, stretched more than 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles) in the Tai Po neighbourhood, an AFP reporter saw, meaning some mourners had to wait hours to pay their respects.
Police said on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 146, up from 128 recorded the day before, as officers of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit broadened their search in the estate and recovered additional bodies.
“As of 4:00 pm (0800 GMT), the latest death toll stands at 146. We cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities,” Chief Superintendent Tsang Shuk-yin of the police’s casualty enquiry unit told a news conference.
The 18 additional bodies were found in flats, staircases, hallways and rooftops, police said, adding that the wrecked building interiors complicated the search.
Hong Kong officials have set up an interdepartmental task force to look into the cause of the blaze.
The city’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 11 people in connection to the fire, three of whom were also arrested by police for manslaughter.
Hong Kong media have widely reported, citing unnamed sources, that police have made one sedition arrest in relation to the fire.
Reports said the person arrested was 24-year-old student Miles Kwan, who was among those handing out flyers on Friday calling for governmental accountability and an independent probe.
Police told AFP on Saturday that it “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law” and said they had nothing further to add on Sunday evening.
Kwan could not be reached by phone on Sunday.
Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong said on Saturday it staunchly supported the Hong Kong government in punishing acts by anti-China forces that “use disaster as pretext to cause chaos in Hong Kong”.
Dozens still missing
Police said 54 of the 146 recovered bodies were yet to be identified. Officers were still trying to reach some 40 people who were reported to be missing.
Fourteen people injured in the fire remained hospitalised in critical condition, with another four in serious condition.
The Housing Department said it had surveyed six of the estate’s eight apartment blocks and found “no immediate danger” to their overall structure.
Outside of the Tai Po neighbourhood, other parts of Hong Kong also saw events to mourn the fire victims, attended by many migrant domestic workers who had Sundays off.
Prayer events in the central business district and in Victoria Park drew more than 100 attendees each.
At least seven Indonesian nationals and one Philippine migrant worker had died in the fire, their respective consulates said separately on Saturday.
Hong Kong’s Buildings Department has ordered temporary suspension of works on 30 private building projects across the city.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club meanwhile said Sunday’s race meeting would be held behind closed doors and that the gross income of HK$70.2 million ($9 million) will be donated to a government-run relief fund.
(With Inputs from AFP)