Chief Executive John Lee met with reporters today (Dec. 2) before the Executive Council meeting. He stated that last week, a tragic and deadly fire occurred at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. This fire destroyed not only seven buildings but also deeply affected the hearts of every Hong Kong resident. Many have lost loved ones and dear friends, and we have mourned the loss of a brave firefighter. After several consecutive days of round-the-clock firefighting and rescue operations, firefighters successfully completed the extinguishing and search efforts, rescuing several residents from the blaze. These miraculous saves were achieved at the cost of firefighters' lives. He expressed his highest respect and endless gratitude to those firefighters who worked tirelessly to save lives and assist the injured.
John Lee also thanked all departments for fulfilling their roles, noting that medical personnel did their utmost to save every injured individual; police maintained order at the scene while facilitating firefighting efforts and then quickly engaged in subsequent evidence collection, investigation, and identification of remains; and also commended the hard work of frontline personnel, civil servants, and caring citizens. In this incident, various individuals demonstrated the spirit of the Hong Kong people as one family, showing mutual love and support, making selfless contributions, and fostering unity.
John Lee pointed out that the fire has resulted in 151 deaths and 79 injuries to date, with 40 of the injured still hospitalized. The police have contacted or ruled out multiple missing persons cases and are currently following up on approximately 30 missing cases.
He stated that the government is fully focused on caring for and supporting the affected residents, helping them through this difficult time. Immediately after the fire, the government activated shelter centers to accommodate displaced residents of Wang Fuk Court. Subsequently, arrangements were made to relocate a total of 2,500 individuals to transitional housing, Housing Society units, youth hostels, and hotels. Currently, around 20 residents remain in the shelter centers. The government has implemented a "one social worker per household" program to provide support for affected residents, and additionally assigned 2 to 3 civil servants per household to ensure personalized care, answer questions, provide emotional support, and assist with administrative matters.
John Lee mentioned that he personally visited the transitional housing and found that disaster victims were satisfied with the supplies, services, and allowances provided by the government. He also noted reports of residents receiving scam messages requesting bank account information to receive allowances. He reminded residents to seek help from the "one social worker per household" or designated civil servants and condemned these despicable fraudulent acts.
He continued by stating that after the disaster, the government established the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po with an initial funding of HK$300 million, which has since been bolstered by significant public donations, including contributions from mainland compatriots, bringing the total amount to HK$1.6 billion. The government will ensure that all funds are used effectively to assist residents in overcoming difficulties and rebuilding their lives.
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