The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has planned to allow Wang Fuk Court residents to return home to pick up their personal belongings in mid-to-late April, the city’s chief executive revealed on Tuesday.

“I have asked Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing to coordinate with relevant departments as soon as possible to deploy sufficient manpower, establish procedures, and provide clear guidance to residents,” John Lee Ka-chiu told reporters ahead of the Executive Council meeting.

He had requested that the relevant arrangements be announced within this month, according to Lee.

Acknowledging residents’ strong demand to return home, he stressed the need to ensure residents’ safety, as seven out of the eight residential blocks damaged by the Nov 26 fire, which had claimed 168 people’s lives, had no water and electricity supply and a lot of units were severely damaged with structural problems.

“The whole process is not as simple as going home normally. It has to be carried out in a safe and orderly manner.”

Arrangements should be made properly for the elderly with safety devices installed along staircases, the CE said, adding that these measures should be put in place as soon as possible.

Regarding long-term accommodation, he said the authorities were compiling the collected opinions from affected residents and the current situation is consistent with expectations in a majority of cases.

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For residents of Wang Chi Court, the lone building unaffected by the deadly blaze, he pointed out that they had a consensus on being included in the government’s ownership acquisition plan and the authorities will discuss it with them again and continue to provide assistance.