Tensions are running high in Hong Kong over last week's massive apartment fire in the city's Tai Po district. The blaze killed at least 156 people, with the death toll expected to grow as authorities continue to comb through the burned-out buildings.

The fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex broke out as buildings were being renovated. It eventually spread to seven out of eight apartment towers in the complex.

Authorities have already said they suspect that substandard insulation foam and cheap plastic netting used on scaffolding contributed to the fire. The exact cause has yet to be determined.

As early as September 2024, local residents raised safety concerns about the construction materials being used for the project, but were told they faced a "relatively low" fire risk, the Hong Kong Labour Department told the Reuters news agency.

Fifteen people have already been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter as officials probe the incident. The suspects include several people associated with the renovation contractor.

Eric Chan, Hong Kong's chief secretary, said contractors had hidden places where the substandard netting was used to save costs and evade detection by inspectors, adding the suspects "acted with deliberate intent and planning."

On Tuesday, Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, said a "judge-led independent committee" would be set up to "examine the reason behind the cause and rapid spreading [of the fire] and related issues."

Calls for official accountability growing in Hong Kong

With the fire raising larger questions about pervasive corruption and malfeasance in Hong Kong's construction industry, the tragedy has also placed the spotlight on the city's "national security" laws, which are frequently used to squash dissent against the city's Beijing-backed government.

As a Chinese special administrative region, Hong Kong has traditionally boasted civil liberties not seen in mainland China, including open elections, anti-government protests and largely independent media. 

However, after widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019, Beijing handed down draconian national security laws, which included heavy penalties for loosely defined acts of "sedition" that effectively criminalized free speech and the right to protest.

Those in Hong Kong who publicly criticize authorities, even in the event of a tragedy like the Tai Po apartment fire, risk running afoul of these laws.

China's national security office has already issued a statement warning people against using the apartment disaster to "plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos" of 2019.

It said the national security laws would be used against "anti-China" forces, who "incite hatred against authorities."

The public controversy surrounding the fire also comes ahead of Legislative Council elections set for December 7.  

Critical voices reportedly detained

According to Hong Kong media, the authorities have already moved against two people who spoke out about the Tai Po blaze.

Kenneth Cheung, a former Hong Kong district councilor, was detained on Sunday. He told DW he assumes he was arrested after posting critical comments on Facebook about the fire and the overall situation of free speech in Hong Kong.

Cheung said that it is unclear exactly what kind of statements violate national security laws, and this complicates any public criticism of Hong Kong's authorities.

"People all feel there's a 'red line' but no one really knows where it is. So, many will self-censor, choosing not to express their views too directly," Cheung said. "Overall, we can clearly feel that the space for free expression is very different from five or 10 years ago."

Also, Hong Kong media reported that student Miles Kwan was detained on Saturday for "seditious intention" after launching a petition with "4 demands" for authorities.

These included holding officials accountable, launching a review of the construction supervision system, and creating an independent committee to investigate potential conflicts of interest in the city's construction sector. The petition received thousands of signatures online.

"Hongkongers are united in grief, we are united in anger. Of course, we think that all of our demands should be tolerated by the law," Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported Kwan as saying before he was detained. HKFP also published images showing Kwan handing out flyers at a Hong Kong train station.

On Monday, the AFP news agency reported Kwan was seen leaving a Hong Kong police station. He did not speak to reporters.

Hong Kong authorities 'deeply uneasy' with public response

Although Hong Kong authorities did not directly comment on the arrests, Secretary of Security Chris Tang told a press conference Monday that national security was being threatened by "inaccurate comments online."

"We must take appropriate measures, including law enforcement measures," he added, saying operational details could not be disclosed for "security reasons."

Chief Executive Lee told a press conference on Tuesday when asked about the detentions that he would not "tolerate any crimes" that "exploit the tragedy that we are facing now."

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Asian Law, told DW that the arrests carried out under national security offenses show that both the Hong Kong and Chinese governments have "reframed post-fire crisis management into a crisis management effort centered on safeguarding regime security."

"Authorities appear deeply uneasy about grassroots, self-organized relief efforts and independent expressions of accountability," he said.

He said that authorities have already begun replacing community-led relief initiatives with officially backed "Care Teams," and are using arrests to keep people from looking deeper into what caused the fire.

Move towards more transparency?

Hong Kong leader Lee on Tuesday pledged reform in the construction industry and also pledged to create an independent investigation committee. However, he still faces the issue of balancing the need for transparency with the risk of tarnishing his administration's image.

Jason Poon Chuk-hung, a civil engineer-turned-activist, told DW that the local construction industry suffers from widespread deficits. If exposed, according to the activist, these flaws could land on the shoulders of officials. 

"The biggest problem lies in lax enforcement — laws that exist but are not followed, and regulations that are not strictly implemented," he said.

Chuk-hung has been lobbying the Hong Kong government to address fire safety of scaffolding netting for more than a year.

"This was ultimately a once-in-a-century fire. The Hong Kong government's performance was mediocre to begin with, and in the early stages of the disaster it was even poorer — especially in providing relief to residents who had suddenly become homeless," he added.

The activist said that Hong Kong law still allows for an Independent Commission of Inquiry (ICI), a process that grants a high level of transparency to the public.

An ICI also encourages citizens to step forward with information or testimony, and its final recommendations "carry authoritative weight in resolving the incident."

Any such process, however, would also need to navigate new legal obstacles that aim to hinder any criticism of Hong Kong's government.

And it is unclear whether the committee announced by Lee on Tuesday will meet the same transparency standards of an ICI. 

Survivor 'furious' over man-made disaster

For now, Hong Kong's authorities seem to be at least paying lip service to public demands for accountability.

"We must uncover the truth, ensure that justice is served, let the deceased rest in peace and provide comfort to the living," the chief executive told reporters Tuesday at a weekly press conference. "We want to ensure that we will prevent such a tragedy from happening again."

One Wang Fuk apartment resident, who identified herself as Anna and has lived in the apartment complex for more than 40 years, told DW she is "furious" that the renovation work ended up destroying her home and others, and expects chief executive Lee to respond.

"This wasn't a natural disaster — it was man-made," she said. "My grief has turned into anger. If I ever see the contractor, I swear I'd punch him, consequences be damned."

Rik Glauert, DW's East Asia correspondent, and DW's Chinese department contributed to the report.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic