The last day of the first round of belongings collection by residents of the fire-torn Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po began on Monday, as residents from Wang Shing House and Wang Tai House returned to their homes.

The first round, which spans 15 days, saw over 5,500 residents from about 1,500 households return to their fire-ravaged homes.

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In the past two weeks, the HKSAR government has mobilized over 1,000 personnel, on a daily basis, from police, housing, home affairs, social welfare departments to assist the operation.

Many residents lined up outside Kwong Fuk Community Hall with large backpacks to register for entry in the early morning. Some residents have said they hope to get a chance to return to their units again. Other residents brought flowers in memory of their neighbors who perished in the blaze.

The fire broke out on Nov 26 and ripped through seven out of the estate’s eight towers, killing 168 people and ruining about 2,000 homes.  

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com