Wang Fuk Court Residents Allowed Upstairs to Collect Belongings Starting Today

Residents from seven fire-affected blocks at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po can return in phases from today until May 4th to retrieve their belongings. This morning, Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, along with Mr. Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr. Tang Ping Keung, Secretary for Security, Ms. Winnie Ho, Secretary for Housing, and Miss Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, inspected the site and visited Kwong Fuk Community Hall to review the registration centre and supply collection process. They then proceeded to Wang Sun House to assess staffing and response arrangements, and checked the joint command centre and the general information centre. Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing said all personnel on site are ready and in position.

Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Photo by Bastille Post

Today, 78 households from Wang Sun House, totalling 269 residents, registered to go upstairs to collect their belongings. Mr. Cheuk stressed that arranging for residents of the seven blocks to go upstairs required extensive preparation and manpower. More than 1,000 staff were deployed today, including 500 from the Police Force, Civil Aid Service, Fire Services Department, and Auxiliary Medical Service; 260 from the Home Affairs Department (including members from Care Teams); 150 from the Social Welfare Department; around 40 from Housing Department and Housing Bureau; and dozens of other departmental colleagues.

To ensure residents' safety and protect their belongings while entering and exiting the fire-affected buildings, the government has conducted several measures: residents are provided with helmets, masks, gloves, and other protective gear, and are accompanied by the Police Force or Civil Aid Service personnel when entering and leaving their units. The police officers are also stationed in the ground-floor lobbies of each building to prevent unauthorised entry. Furthermore, police officers are present on all accessible floors to guide residents and prevent them from wandering into unsafe areas.

Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Cheuk added that if residents feel unwell during their upstairs process, the Police Force and Civil Aid Service personnel will provide immediate assistance. For every ten floors opened, four dedicated teams, including social workers from Social Welfare Department and clinical psychologists, will be deployed to support residents in need. The Fire Services Department and Auxiliary Medical Service personnel will also stay on-site to offer emergency and medical services. Residents who remain distressed or unwell after leaving the building can reach out to social workers for psychological counselling.

Photo by Bastille Post

He noted that since announcing the upstairs belongings collection arrangements at the end of March, the government has been considering how to meet residents' needs better and has made several adjustments to facilitate access: If circumstances and order permit, residents may be allowed to return to their units more than once within three hours; to help residents carry their belongings more easily, pick-up points for free shuttle buses and taxis have been moved inside the police cordon and positioned as close as possible to the building position to reduce walking distances; and, considering that residents may stay inside the building for several hours and need restroom access, Housing Bureau has added temporary non-flush toilets in electrical meter rooms on every other floor; cleaning staff will replace the waste bags when full, sparing elderly and other residents the strain of repeatedly climbing stairs.

Residents are provided with helmets, masks, gloves, and other protective gear, and are accompanied by the Police Force or Civil Aid Service personnel when entering and leaving their units. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Cheuk further pointed out that recent hot and rainy weather could lead to a rise in mosquito activity. Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has conducted mosquito prevention work in each building before residents go upstairs. He urged residents to stay aware of their surroundings and their own health conditions while going upstairs to ensure safety. In addition, Mr. Cheuk said he has recently received feedback from residents that some reporters have contacted them requesting to accompany them upstairs. He understood that for many residents, retrieving belongings or saying goodbye to their units is a private and emotional matter, and they wish to do so quietly. He therefore appealed to reporters not to seek permission to go upstairs for interviews, adding that the government would not approve such requests.

Mr. Tang Ping Keung, Secretary for Security, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tang Ping Keung also said the Police Force or Civil Aid Service personnel will be stationed on each floor to provide immediate assistance, including handling residents’ unwell problems, as these colleagues have taken professional training. Auxiliary Medical Service personnel are also on-site to offer further medical help if needed.

Mr. Tang also noted that Fire Services Department personnel, including ambulancemen, are stationed on-site, and the government has positioned several ambulances ready to transport residents to the hospital if necessary. Regarding residents in need of assistance, he expressed confidence that the Police Force or Civil Aid Service personnel would respond in a humanized approach and do their utmost to help anyone they see requiring support.

Mr. Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Chris Sun said today’s arrangements are primarily designed to help residents with their belongings collection. Each household may send up to four people upstairs, which may be limited depending on the condition of the unit. He pointed out that, as previously explained, as long as the homeowner registers, a social worker will assist each household with the registration process, which means that, in addition to family members and friends, if social workers are needed, they can also be arranged through the registration system.

Mr. Sun further emphasized that the top priority today is to ensure a smooth process, allowing residents to return to their units, collect belongings, and then safely return to their current homes. He reassured residents that social workers will listen to their opinions, and if there is a need to include non-family social workers as helpers within the four-person limit, the government will assist as much as possible.

The personnel are assisting residents in moving their belongings on site. Photo by Bastille Post

The personnel are assisting residents in entering the building. Photo by Bastille Post

The personnel are assisting residents in moving their belongings on site. Photo by Bastille Post

Some residents have collected their belongings and are ready to leave. Photo by Bastille Post

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

A theft occurred recently at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, with three workers involved in reinforcement work arrested for suspected of stealing valuables from a unit. Mr. Chow Yat-ming, the Commissioner of Police, stated that security at Wang Fuk Court will be strengthened, including requiring workers to undergo body searches upon leaving.

Mr. Chow Yat-ming, the Commissioner of Police, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Chow stated that the police suspended all reinforcement work at Wang Fuk Court immediately after the theft. Following a review, four new security measures will be introduced. These include increased police patrols, requiring workers to store personal valuables—such as jewelry, watches, and cash—in lockers before heading upstairs, and limiting each worker to carrying no more than HKD $500 in cash on-site (mobile phones are permitted). Additionally, police will first document any visibly valuable items inside the units, and workers will be subject to body searches and metal detector checks upon exit. The reinforcement work is scheduled to resume on Monday (9th).

Mr. Chow Yat-ming, the Commissioner of Police, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Chow noted that during previous work periods, police had registered workers' personal information—including ID card numbers and phone numbers—before officers escorted them to their work floors. Workers were also prohibited from carrying backpacks or bags upstairs. He added that only the three arrested workers have been implicated in the case so far, with no involvement of others found. As of 5 p.m. on March 7, police had received approximately 81 related reports, most of which expressed concerns from residents about unit security. Police will follow up on each report to determine whether theft was involved.

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Chow also stated receiving a report from a resident who suspected credit card theft. He urged residents worried about credit or bank cards left in their units to contact their banks immediately to report the loss and arrange for replacements. When asked whether the incident pointed to possible police negligence, Mr. Chow said an internal review would be conducted. If human error is identified, disciplinary action may follow.

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post