The Tai Po fire has drawn the attention of countless citizens in Hong Kong. During this special period, many people hope to help the disaster victims get through the difficult times by donating money or supplies. Nevertheless, such good intentions have been exploited by some lawbreakers who disguised themselves as charitable organizations or disaster-stricken people to lure citizens to donate money.
Ms. Flora, Photo by Bastille Post
Flora, a citizen who came to the site of the fire to express her condolences, said that although she often received unknown calls regularly in normal times, the calls posing as those from charity organizations to urge her to donate money to disaster victims became more frequent during this special period. She said, she felt bitterly disappointed that the generosity and care the HK citizens had hoped to express to the disaster victims were, in turn, deliberately exploited by lawbreakers.
Mr. Cheng, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Cheng, a citizen coming to lay flowers for the victims of the Tai Po fire, is also extremely indignant about the fundraising frauds happening recently. "During this period, the defrauders still think about how to gain as much as they can from the citizens. Such behavior is like adding fuel to the fire and taking advantage of the victims' misfortune." He said that whenever he received such strange calls or saw unfamiliar QR codes appealing for donations for the Tai Po fire on social media recently, he would immediately end or close them and donate his support to the victims through reliable and legitimate website links. "I hope my money can truly reach those in need, rather than end up in the pockets of fraudsters." Mr. Cheng said.
Mr. Cheng also called on the public that if they want to donate during this period, they should distinguish the source of the information carefully and enhance their awareness of precautions. He said that it's good to reach out a helping hand to the disaster victims, but if we do not pay more attention to distinguishment and let our money be exploited by lawbreakers, it will lead to the failure of good intentions and unnecessary financial losses instead.
The No.5 Alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court has caused severe casualties. During the search-and-rescue period, firefighters not only raced against time to rescue the residents of the buildings, but also saved many pets, whose owners expressed their gratitude to the firefighters for their selfless dedication to saving lives.
Some notices for searching for missing pets have been posted at the open spaces outside Wang Fuk Court. Photo by Bastille Post
At the open spaces outside Wang Fuk Court, some notices for searching for missing pets have been posted. Calling the mobile numbers on the notices, the Bastille Post's reporter has contacted the owner of the two missing kittens, "Sai Lou Zai" and "Sek Zai". She said that there were a total of eight kittens in her home. Although "Sai Lou Zai" and "Sek Zai" have still not been found yet, her other six kittens were all rescued by firefighters and sent back to her safely.
The photos of "Sai Lou Zai" and "Sek Zai", Photo by Bastille Post
"I'm very grateful that the firefighters have really made great efforts to rescue my cats. They have searched corner by corner, wall by wall, room by room in the burned buildings to help me find my cats. Moreover, during the search-and-rescue period, they also placed cat food and water in the places where cats might appear in the buildings, to let the kittens have timely food replenishment." said the owner. She also pointed out that her six rescued kittens were all in good condition. As for her, she sincerely hoped that the two lost kittens could return home safely and reunite with the other cats in the following days.
Some notices for searching for missing pets have been posted at the open spaces outside Wang Fuk Court. Photo by Bastille Post
Besides, at the open spaces for residents to lay flowers near Wang Fuk Court, Ms. Be and her friends have voluntarily provided pet food, pet cages, leashes, and other supplies for the pet owners affected by the fire. They've also set up a "Bulletin Board for Little Animals" for residents to write messages to pray for the animals that died in the disaster.
Ms. Be and her friends have voluntarily provided pet food, pet cages, leashes, and other supplies for the pet owners affected by the fire. Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Be mentioned that she is also a volunteer for rescuing stray animals. After learning about the Tai Po fire, she was very concerned about the plight of the little animals at Wang Fuk Court. Hence, she immediately contacted her friends, who are also dedicated to animal protection as she is, and rushed to the fire site together to provide material assistance to pet families in need.
Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
"During these days, we have helped many families to take care of their pets, ensuring that these little animals can have enough food to eat and a warm place to rest in time." Meanwhile, she also mentioned that she had witnessed the corpses of many small animals when she stayed at the site of fire recently, which made her feel extremely heartbroken. "When the dead turtles and cats were found, their bodies had all turned black, almost like carbon. It was really painful to see such a scene."
Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Be said that she was quite gratified to help many families and their pets reunite after such a tragic fire. Moreover, she also sincerely prayed for those little animals that unfortunately lost their lives in the fire, hoping that they could rest in peace in heaven and "enjoy tranquility on the rainbow bridge".
Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
