As of yesterday (Dec. 8), marking the thirteenth day since the No. 5 fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the tragedy has resulted in at least 159 fatalities, including one firefighter who died in the line of duty, with 31 people still unaccounted for, and some remains have yet to be identified. To help families identify the deceased as quickly as possible, starting yesterday, police have arranged for relatives of those with unidentified remains to provide oral swab DNA samples at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall in batches for scientific identification. This process is expected to be completed within two days.
Starting around 9 a.m. yesterday, family members began arriving at Kwong Fuk Community Hall for sampling. Police officers were present to assist. Despite the days that have passed since the fire, the relatives, troubled by the lack of contact with their loved ones, appeared deeply sorrowful.
Ms. Chan, who came for sampling, told a Wen Wei Po reporter that her missing parents lived on a lower floor of Wang Cheong House and are presumed to have perished. However, their remains have not been found yet. Police only discovered some "very small" suspected human bones in their unit, and it is unclear whether they belong to her father or mother. Therefore, DNA sampling from family members is being conducted for matching, in the hope of identifying the remains. The sampling process for each family takes about half an hour, but the test results will be available in three to four weeks.
"It really affects life"
Ms. Chan admitted she does not dare to hope for too much, saying, "We don't know if the remains can be found... (Their ashes) might have been washed away by the water from the fire hoses... It's very painful, and we really want to give them (parents) back their identities, because there are still many procedures to handle."
"Every day, there are many things requiring us to queue. Even if we ask relatives or friends to help, it's not possible. My sister and I have to use our disaster victim certificates to handle things... In one day, we have to go to four districts, applying for funds at different places... Since the remains haven't been identified, the families haven't been able to obtain death certificates yet."
She said that dealing with the aftermath over the past days has left her "physically and mentally exhausted."
When asked about the issue of not being able to obtain death certificates if her parents' deaths cannot be confirmed, Ms. Chan expressed mixed emotions and said, "I'd also like to know what the procedures are... I hope it can be resolved as soon as possible, because people need to go back to work and school. We can't take indefinite leave. I haven't been at my new company for very long, but they have been very understanding. From the first day of the incident until now, it's been impossible to return to work. It really affects life..."
Speaking on a TV program the day before yesterday (Dec. 7), Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun stated that among the 1,984 households in Wang Fuk Court, the government, through the "one social worker per household" follow-up service, has made contact with 1,971 households, with 13 households still unreachable. All members of these households may have perished.
Sun emphasized that efforts will continue to contact family members not living together, in hopes of clarifying the reasons for the loss of contact as soon as possible. He added that they are currently considering how to "handle special cases with special procedures" for families of those unaccounted for, to expedite funeral arrangements and other procedures.
Funeral with highest honors next Friday for fallen firefighter
It is understood that the government plans to hold a funeral with the highest honors for 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died in the line of duty, next Friday (Dec. 19) at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom. His remains will be buried at the Gallant Garden.
The SAR government also announced that, as of yesterday, 1,357 cases of living allowances for each affected household in Wang Fuk Court have been processed. Additionally, 95 cases have been processed for distributing a condolence payment of HK$200,000 and a funeral subsidy of HK$50,000 to the families of each deceased victim. The government has also distributed a one-time emergency grant of HK$10,000 to 1,932 households, with this distribution work largely completed. Yesterday, representatives from the Social Welfare Department visited affected residents temporarily staying in transitional housing in Yuen Long, distributing Octopus cards valued at HK$2,000 to facilitate their daily travel.
As of yesterday morning, 1,422 residents have been accommodated in youth hostels/camps or hotel rooms coordinated by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau. Another 2,522 residents are currently staying in transitional housing units under the Housing Bureau or projects by the Hong Kong Housing Society.
Regarding material assistance and donations, over 5,700 items covering various categories have been distributed to multiple locations. The work of matching and distributing supplies will continue.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Xiao Jingyuan; English Editor: Darius)
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