The Memories of the Surrounding Residents about the Fire in Tai Po

Recalling the start of the fire, an elderly resident said she was alone at home, taking a nap, at that time. Hearing the alarm sound with smoke coming out, she immediately called the estate office for an inquiry and fled in panic. An Indian resident pointed out that she heard from her neighbours that the fire source was suspected to be caused by someone smoking and gradually spread to the whole scaffolding.

The No.5 Alarm Fire in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post

Residents are waiting at the scene for upcoming information after escaping from their home, Photo by Bastille Post

The site of the fire, Wang Fuk Court is undergoing extensive repair currently. Eight buildings are surrounded by scaffolding. According to the website of the Incorporated Owners of Wang Fuk Court, as of the 10th of this month, the buildings are also undergoing interior wall painting, exterior wall plastering and spraying, and laying mosaic tiles.

Ms. Ng, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Ng, a resident of the No.3 Building, said that the incident occurred around 3 p.m. At that time, she was taking a nap in her house. Hearing the fire alarm sound with smoke coming out, she immediately called the estate office for inquiry. Realizing a fire accident was happening, she fled at once. "Hearing the fire alarm sound and seeing the smoke, I immediately decided to flee. Fortunately, I made the right choice." said by Ms. Ng.

Jaur Harjit, Photo by Bastille Post

Jaur Harjit, an Indian resident of the No.8 Building, pointed out that she, her husband and son were all inside the house when the incident happened. While her son was sleeping, her husband heard the alarm sound and noticed some smoke was coming out. Realizing it might be the signal of a fire accident, he fled immediately. "We are lucky enough to flee at the last minute," she said. It was the first time for her to encounter a fire alarm in Hong Kong. Even her daughter was very panicked about the situation. According to Jaur Harjit, she heard from her neighbours saying that the fire source was suspected to be caused by someone smoking and gradually spread to the whole scaffolding.

Mr. Wong, Photo by Bastille Post

The resident, Mr. Wong, said that he was worried and came back to check the situation of his home upon hearing the news of the fire alarm. Fortunately, all his family members were out working, and the fire just temporarily affected the building he lived in. He was still observing the scene with anxiety and would need to stay at his friend's home tonight.

Residents have been evacuated to the nearby area. Photo by Bastille Post

The resident, Mr. Gaan, said that he felt quite nervous about looking for his family. In his eyes, since the buildings had all been surrounded by scaffolding for extensive repair, "if there were workers smoking or any other situation just happened, it would catch fire easily." Some residents also said that the fire broke out first at Wang Cheong House, and then spread to Wang Sun House and Wang Tai House, with most of the units affected as well.

The community hall is now open to residents for shelter. Photo by Bastille Post

Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. The first batch of residents to return is from Wang Tai House, Wang Sun House, and Wang Yan House. Each unit may be accessed by up to four residents, who may stay inside for up to three hours, with no restrictions on the number of entries and exits.

Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Ho, a Wang Tai resident who has lived there since 1985, said she had already retrieved most of her belongings earlier. This time, she wanted to go through every corner carefully. "Since I have lived in Wang Fuk Court for so many years, I have a deep affection for every part of this place," she said. Despite the heavy rainfall today, she continued her retrieval as scheduled. "I want to take a second, careful look at my home."

Ms. Ho, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Wan, who has also lived in Wang Yan House since 1985, said his greatest wish this time was to retrieve a photo taken more than a decade ago - a picture of his father holding him in their family shop. He grew up in that store and treasures the memory. Mr. Wan revealed that during the previous retrieval, most of his home remained intact, and he had already recovered gold jewelry and the house deed. "I'd be satisfied just to get back a stack of photos this time," he said. Mr. Wan is currently living in government-provided transitional housing, though he believes the living environment needs improvement: "It's hard to cook, the bathroom is tiny, and when it poured yesterday, water leaked right through the ceiling."

Mr. Wan, Photo by Bastille Post

Mrs. Kwok, who lives on a lower floor of Wang Tai House, returned to her old home to retrieve her belongings. She packed up an undamaged umbrella — not particularly valuable, she admitted, but "better than nothing." She also recovered some small souvenirs and her son's Octopus card. Describing her mixed emotions, she said she was grateful to see her old neighbors again, yet could not hide her sadness in the face of the disaster. Choking back tears during the interview, she said, "I'm so grateful that so many people have come to help us. I'm very happy that I can come up again today and retrace the memories of the past." She added that she had known the family in unit 802 for many years and had watched their children grow up. She revealed that the neighbor's father had died in the fire and that many of the neighbors she knew also lost their lives. Mrs. Kwok said she is currently staying in Kai Tak, while her husband is temporarily living at their son's home.

Mrs. Kwok, Photo by Bastille Post

Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post

Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. Photo by Bastille Post