Nearly five months after the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po District, 269 registered residents of 78 households in one of the seven ravaged blocks returned to the site on Monday morning to salvage their belongings.
More than 1,000 personnel from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s emergency response unit, as well as care teams, were on hand to help out.
An estimated 4,000 residents at the eight-block residential complex were displaced by the inferno that killed 168 people on Nov 26.
Fifteen days have been set aside for the victims of more than 1,730 households from the seven affected towers to return on a staggered basis, with each family given three hours on each occasion to retrieve their belongings. Residents of Wang Chi House - the only block left unscathed in the blaze - were previously allowed 90-minute visits.
Residents of Wang Sun House entered their flats at 9am on Monday. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing and a team of officials had earlier visited an inter-departmental joint command center set up in a nearby community hall to review the registration process, the supply of free protective gear, including helmets, non-slip gloves and masks, and the deployment of supporting staff.
“Our personnel on the ground are ready and in position,” Cheuk said.
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More than 1,000 government personnel had been assembled by Monday, including 500 officers from the police force, auxiliary aid services, and fire and medical units, as well as 260 from the Home Affairs Department and its district care teams. The others are from the social welfare, housing and other departments.
Cheuk said registered Wang Fuk Court residents will be allowed to make multiple trips to their apartments during their respective three-hour periods. The measure, which he described as “better suited to residents’ needs”, replaces a stricter preliminary arrangement from late March that offered only a single entry.
Free shuttle buses and taxis were moved into a police cordon said to have been set up as close as possible to Wang Sun House — the block slated for Monday’s return — for the convenience of residents with heavy loads of belongings.
As the blaze had disabled elevators in the high-rise towers, residents had to take the stairs - up to 31 stories for some - and haul their possessions down on foot.
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Addressing public concerns about the victims likely to experience emotional and physical pain, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said government support teams will accompany them at every stage of their return, and on-site personnel are on standby to help anyone overcome with physical exhaustion or psychological distress.
According to the authorities, more than 1,670 households, or 97 percent of those affected, have been able to enter their premises as scheduled. They included about 74 percent of four people registered for each household, bringing the total number of visitors to about 6,000 so far, comprising over 1,420 aged 65 or above.
Forty-seven households decided against climbing up the stairs to their homes after having seen photographs of the damaged flats. Less than 10 households said the time allowed for each visit is unsuitable. The authorities said rearrangements will be made for them.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
