Residents of seven blocks at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po can return to their units in phases starting today (April 20) to retrieve their belongings. Residents of Wang Sun House will be the first to go back over the initial three days.
Mr. Chung, a resident of Wang Sun House, estimated that the condition inside his flat would be dirty and poor. He came prepared with tools including a screwdriver, scissors, red-white-blue bags, and rubbish bags. He mentioned that he hopes to retrieve important items such as his marriage certificate and precious photos of his children from when they were young.
Another resident, Mrs. Tam, who lives in Wang Shing House, is scheduled to enter her unit in early May. She made a special trip to the site this morning to learn about the government arrangements. She said she has many belongings at home, including clothes, shoes, socks and kitchen utensils, and will prepare red-white-blue bags to make it easier to pack her items.
The government has set up a registration point at Kwong Fuk Community Hall to verify the identities of returning residents. A large blue tent has been erected outside the hall for residents to queue and rest. Large numbers of government emergency response team personnel and "Care Team" members arrived at around 7 am to make preparations. Several roads near Wang Fuk Court have been closed, allowing access only to authorised vehicles.
Regarding the return arrangements, the government has notified residents of their return dates through a "one social worker per household" system, helping them pre-register information, providing guidelines for returning, and informing them about the condition of their units. If a unit is severely damaged, social workers will show residents photos to prepare them mentally and discuss whether they would consider authorising suitable relatives or friends to assist. Each day is divided into morning (9 am–1 pm) and afternoon (2:30 pm–6:30 pm) sessions. Depending on the extent of damage, each household may allow up to four people to enter and is limited to a three-hour stay.
According to earlier testimony at the independent commission's hearings, 53% of the units across the seven blocks affected by the fire suffered varying degrees of damage, while the remaining 812 units were unaffected. In Wang Sun Court — where residents began returning today — every single unit has been damaged to some extent, staircases have been burned, and 58% of the entire block has been damaged.
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