The devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court not only claimed numerous lives, but also left residents desperate to recover their cherished possessions. Ronnie, a resident of a mid-to-high floor of Wang Sun House, said in the interview after collecting her belongings that she was most grateful to have found a teapot set in her father's room.
The teapot set collected by Ronnie. Photo source: Offered by Ronnie
Ronnie said that her father had suffered acute mental illness as a result of the fire and was still in the hospital. Doctors explained that after experiencing the fire, he seemed to have developed a personal protective shield, refusing to face reality. He is now living as if he were 20 to 30 years ago, trapped in his own world. Since her father had asked her to find the teapot for him, she hoped that seeing it would remind him of his previous days and help him face life anew.
She added that her father, who had been quite mobile before, now needed two people to support him when walking after a long hospital stay. Even though he had wanted to go upstairs with her today, he could not realize such a wish as they live on the mid-to-high floor of the building.
Ronnie shows the photo of teapot set to the reporter. Photo by Bastille Post
Ronnie described the damage to her unit as severe, with many things burned to ashes. The interior was filled with dust, and many items were burned down, so the suitcase she brought to carry her belongings today could barely hold anything except the teapot set. She said, "Even the bicycle was burned and warped." The bathroom sink was also badly burned and stuck to the wall. However, she noted that there were no mosquitoes or bugs in the unit, and it was well-ventilated. As for today, she wore waterproof boots to avoid being injured by wood splinters, and she thanked the volunteers for bringing a shovel and a light to assist her.
Residents of Wang Sun House have collected their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tam, a resident of Wang Sun House who arrived fully equipped to retrieve his belongings, explained that he spent several thousand dollars on an exoskeleton supposedly designed to reduce the strain of walking. Living on the 17th floor, he was worried about the physical exertion of climbing the stairs. He had tried walking from the 10th to the 30th floor with the support of the exoskeleton and felt that "the effort was reduced by about half, but the shortness of breath and physical exertion remained unchanged."
Mr. Tam, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tam spent several thousand dollars on an exoskeleton supposedly designed to reduce the strain of walking. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tam owns two units. The retrieval schedule allowed one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, with only two people permitted per unit. He would go upstairs with his wife, son, and domestic helper. Due to the severity of the fire damage, he became emotional and choked up during the interview.
He had initially thought he couldn't retrieve anything after seeing photos of the extensive damage, but news reports of people successfully bringing bicycles downstairs rekindled his hope. He hoped to retrieve a small safe, which, although not of high value, contained some gold jewellery. He said he has lived in Wang Sun House for over 30 years, and his son was born here. The two adjacent units were equally damaged by the fire. "Two units holding my precious memories were both destroyed," he said.
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
Mr. Tam found the safe in his burned unit. Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
A toy model was also found by Mr. Tam in his burned unit. Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
After successfully retrieving his belongings, Mr. Tam described the process as "mining" during the interview with him. Fortunately, he found his wife's jewellery. The gold necklace was still gleaming even after the fire. "It didn't look like something found in a fierce fire," he said.
The items Mr. Tam found in his burned unit. Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
The gold necklace Mr. Tam found in his unit. Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
The items Mr. Tam found in his burned unit. Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
Mr. Tam's unit was in extremely poor condition. Even though he had worked in the renovation industry for years, he had never seen anything like it. "Everything was basically charred, and this is the first time I've ever seen glass melted into a lump of unrecognizable things." He estimated he would not go back to his units again, but the personnel on site were still asking if he wanted to go upstairs once more.
"Every time I shoveled, dust would fly up," Mr. Tam said. Fortunately, it was windy today, so the air was relatively well-circulated in the units. During the process, he successfully found his wife's sapphire ring and gold jewellery. "The gold necklace was still sparkling when I found it. It didn't look like something that could be found in a fire."
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
Looking to the future, he said he would let the past grief go. However, he admitted he was still quite upset after witnessing the present condition of his units, feeling that "some things are still here, but they seem different now."
When asked whether three hours was sufficient to collect items, Mr. Tam thought it was enough, as he finished in two and a half hours. Moreover, the damage was so severe that giving more time would not have made a difference. He added, "Originally, the unit allowed two people to enter, but some areas were so badly burned that some places had signs indicating that only one person could go in."
The severe damage inside Mr. Tam's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Tam
He also thanked the police and volunteers during the interview. "They helped me carry the items from the 17th floor to the ground floor and then onto the car."
Mr. Wan, Photo by Bastille Post
Meanwhile, another resident of Wang Sun House, Mr. Wan, who lived on a lower floor, said that as far as he knew, his unit was severely damaged, and he only wanted to retrieve his ancestors' memorial tablets. During the interview, he could not help but shed tears, saying that he grew up in Wang Fuk Court and hoped his neighbours could get over their grief. He also hoped the government could be more understanding of the residents' feelings and situation, provide as much assistance as possible, and arrange for residents to go upstairs multiple times so they would have enough time to retrieve their belongings.
Residents went upstairs to collect their belongings in Wang Sun House. Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
