The government today (March 27) announced details for residents of seven fire-affected blocks at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court to return to their units to retrieve personal belongings. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hing, who heads the emergency support and fundraising task force, introduced the safety measures and manpower deployment for the arrangements.
Cheuk explained that a "one household, one social worker" system will be implemented. Social workers will notify residents of their assigned dates and time slots, assist them in pre-registering the individuals who will enter the premises, provide information on safety protocols, and brief residents on the condition of their units—including whether reinforcement or sealing has been carried out. If a unit has been severely damaged, social workers will show residents photos to help them prepare mentally or decide whether to authorize suitable relatives or friends to enter on their behalf.
On the scheduled day, pre-registered individuals from each household will check in at Kwong Fuk Community Hall, accompanied by social workers. To ensure safety, residents must wear hard hats, cut-resistant gloves, and masks when entering the estate and moving through the building. Police officers or Civil Aid Service (CAS) personnel will then accompany residents up and down the building and in and out of their units. For units where fatalities occurred or for households with special needs, Social Welfare Department staff will also provide accompaniment. Police officers will be stationed on each floor, at the front and back entrances, and along the staircases. Dedicated teams comprising social workers, clinical psychologists, mobilized civil servants, and CAS members will also be on standby on different floors to offer additional support.
Cheuk reminded residents that elevators in the affected buildings are no longer operational, and climbing stairs will be physically demanding—particularly for those on higher floors who may need to go up and down 20 to 30 flights. Residents are advised to carefully assess their physical capabilities.
The seven blocks involve more than 1,700 households, with close to 7,000 individuals expected to enter the buildings. Cheuk described the operation as highly challenging and complex, requiring meticulous coordination among various government departments covering areas such as resident escort, crowd management, emotional support, and contingency measures. During the operation, the government will mobilize over 1,000 staff members daily from departments including the Police, the Housing Department, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the CAS, and civil servants deployed by the Civil Service Bureau.
Cheuk expressed hope that residents will cooperate with the scheduled arrangements to enable all households to retrieve their belongings as soon as possible.
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