The Feelings of Residents in Kwong Yau House, the Nearest Residential Building to Wang Fuk Court

The Kwong Yau House and Kwong Lai House of Kwong Fuk Estate were temporarily sealed off until yesterday (November 28th) due to their proximity to Wang Fuk Court. The residents of the two residential buildings are now gradually returning to their homes. Nevertheless, they still held heavy hearts for the tragic fire and the misfortunes of the residents in Wang Fuk Court.

The Wang Fuk Court can be seen clearly from the Kwong Yau House, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. And Mrs. Luo, the residents in Kwong Yau House, sighed that they still found it hard to find peace of mind when they viewed the building wreckage through the window after returning to their home. When the fire broke out in Wang Fuk Court, they didn't hear the sound of the fire alarm, but only witnessed the flames flare up in the opposite buildings. "Some of our friends still can't be reached. When we saw the current situation of Wang Fuk Court from our home window last night, we still found it hard to accept." they said.

The Kwong Yau House of Kwong Fuk Estate, Photo by Bastille Post

During the interview process, they sighed repeatedly, saying that the fire had indeed had a significant impact on their lives and moods. They hoped that they could gradually recover and return to a normal life track in the following days.

The Kwong Yau House is the nearest residential building to the Wang Fuk Court. Photo by Bastille Post

Taj deen, an Indian who is also a resident of Kwong Yau House, said that when the fire broke out, his family witnessed the entire process. They were greatly shocked and couldn't sleep well for several nights. Although he and his family would still have lingering hard emotions when they see the charred buildings of Wang Fuk Court from home after the blocking period, he is grateful for the great help from the government and the people around him during the previous days.

Taj deen, the Indian resident of Kwong Yau House, Photo by Bastille Post

He said that in the previous days, the government not only actively provided temporary accommodation for the residents affected by the Tai Po fire, but also arranged three meals a day for them. As for he and his family, who are Muslims from India, the meals were all carefully prepared based on their dietary habits. In his eyes, the provision from the government has given great security to their daily life requirements during this special period. He also mentioned that after the teachers of his two daughters' schools learned that they lived near Wang Fuk Court, they actively provided psychological assistance to his daughters during their spare time to help the two girls relieve their anxiety. At present, after the Kwong Yau Hose was allowed for residents to enter, they have safely returned home.

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