After the No. 5 fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the 19 Care Teams in Tai Po quickly arrived at the scene to provide support. The captain of the Tai Po Caring Team, Mui Siu-fung, stated in an interview with Hong Kong Wen Wei Po yesterday that the response was overwhelming, with all 19 Care Teams in the area mobilized within half an hour. He expressed gratitude for the efficient coordination from Care Teams in other neighborhoods.
Regarding future work, he mentioned that they will wait for the police and fire departments to complete their investigations, and once the scene is cleared, they will assist residents in retrieving their belongings. For the elderly or individuals with mobility issues who cannot go upstairs, the Care Teams will also provide support and assistance.
The Home Affairs Department subsequently opened temporary shelters for affected residents. The Care Teams were responsible for guiding residents onto buses to various shelter locations while also transporting supplies. The Home Affairs Department, Social Welfare Department, and other social welfare organizations and corporate groups continued to donate various supplies, which the Care Teams distributed to ensure that these items reached residents, protecting them from the cold and hunger.
At Least 21 Teams Participated
Mui Siu-fung further noted that the Home Affairs Department initiated additional arrangements the night before, deploying Care Teams from Sha Tin District for support in distributing supplies and comforting residents. As of yesterday morning, Care Teams from the North District and Sha Tin District had also provided cross-district support, with at least 21 Care Teams participating in this effort.
When the Care Teams handed out supplies to residents, he remarked that all residents followed the order and queued according to the arrangements. Since it took time to prepare a large number of meal boxes, the Care Teams needed to transport them in phases, and residents were understanding, with overall emotions remaining stable. However, some residents who were unable to contact their families were more anxious. They had referred information about missing persons to the police and firefighters, hoping for a prompt start to rescue operations, but they did not yet have specific details about the rescue situation.
Volunteer Wu Cheuk-him from the Tai Po Caring Team noted that they received notification at 3:30 pm the day before and immediately went to Wang Fuk Court with other Care Team members to assess the situation. Since arriving at the scene, they had been assisting with support work for over 24 hours, with team members and volunteers taking turns to rest for two to three hours.
Continuous Work for Over 24 Hours with Rotating Volunteers
Wu Cheuk-him stated that their Care Team mainly conducted triage work at CCC Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School, including assisting residents in reporting their safety, collecting information about missing persons, and arranging for some residents' medical needs by directing them to different temporary shelters. In addition to triage work, they also participated in distributing supplies, calming residents' emotions, assisting residents with registration, filling out forms, and helping residents transfer to other temporary shelters.
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