Undeterred by the Hardship, Wang Fuk Residents Make the Climb to Find Closure

On the third day, as residents of Wang Sun House were allowed to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings, some elderly residents, despite knowing the hardship, insisted on making the climb to find closure. One resident prepared a folding cane stool for his 70-year-old father so he could rest along the way. Another went upstairs specifically to retrieve the ashes of his beloved cat, bringing flowers to mourn two cats that had perished in the fire.

Mr. Ng, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Ng, who lives on the 25th floor and has lived in Wang Sun House for over 30 years, said that since his father also wanted to go upstairs with him, he specially bought a folding cane stool to let his father rest as he climbed the stairs. "Climbing more than 20 floors of stairs is difficult for me, not let alone for an elderly person," he said. Yet he remained determined: "I'll try to rely on willpower!" In his view, he still hoped to say goodbye to his former unit in person.

The folding cane stool Mr. Ng prepared for his father, Photo by Bastille Post

He added that he would take some photos as mementos and retrieve any items that had not been burned, though he estimated that most had probably been destroyed.

Returning home after several months, Mr. Ng said that while no one in his family was injured, he had lived in Wang Fuk Court for so long and knew that many people had perished in the fire. He admitted that coming back to his former home was not a pleasant experience.

Mr. Ng (leftmost) and his father (right-most) went upstairs to collect their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

He said he is currently awaiting the investigation results and the subsequent housing arrangements. He noted that he will not know his next destination until the balloting in September. He added that the balloting depends on luck; if his number is not good enough, he may not get his favoured unit, and the next opportunity might not come for another two or three years.

Mr. Mak, Photo by Bastille Post

Another resident of Wang Sun House, Mr. Mak, said what he wanted most was to retrieve the ashes of his beloved cat. He had two cats that perished in the fire. The remains of one cat had already been retrieved from the scene by firefighters. Since the cat's body was "unburnt" and still looked "quite intact", he had a general idea of his unit's condition. As his unit was not badly damaged by the fire, he brought many bags and suitcases upstairs to pack his belongings. If given the chance, he hoped to go upstairs again, knowing he would't be able to finish packing everything in one go. This time, he also brought flowers to mourn his cats.

Ms. Ng, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Ng accompanied her parents upstairs to pack their belongings. Her father could go upstairs, but her mother would not. When asked if the climb would be too hard for her father, Ms. Ng replied, "There's no other way." Having lived in Wang Sun House for so many years, going upstairs to bid farewell to their former unit was a wish for her father. She also mentioned that, since they bought the unit themselves, they all had a deep emotional attachment to it. She mentioned that her parents had practiced climbing the stairs, and their main goal was to pack up their belongings. She added that her mother was naturally upset that she couldn't go upstairs, but Ms. Ng said she would take videos on her phone to show her mother and ask her what she wanted to retrieve.

Residents of Wang Sun House went upstairs to collect their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Today (April 22) marks the third day that residents of Wang Sun House have been allowed to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings. Ms. Leung, 80 years old, who lives on the 30th floor, said she had tried practicing climbing the stairs beforehand, but after going up, her legs were "trembling" as she came back down. Given her condition, she decided not to go upstairs this time. "What if I can't get back down after going upstairs?" she said. Her son-in-law would go upstairs to collect her belongings, while she waited near Kwong Lai House downstairs.

Ms. Leung, Photo by Bastille Post

Later, she received a photo from her son-in-law confirming that he had successfully retrieved her passport, blanket, and quilt. Although Ms. Leung said, "It's all burned" and "Just take whatever hasn't been damaged", she couldn't hide her smile as she showed reporters the photos sent by her son-in-law. Asked what she regretted losing the most in the fire, she joked, "That would be the banknotes! I had prepared a lot for red packets."

Mr. Lam, Photo by Bastille Post

Another resident, Mr. Lam, who lives on the 24th floor, said he grew up in Wang Fuk Court with his sister and later studied abroad. He praised the government's arrangements and the assistance of the Civil Aid Service. His parents, both over 80, were not present this time. He joked that he was there "on behalf of his father" and "fulfilling his filial duty". He said he had a video call with his parents while upstairs. Since what his parents wanted had been retrieved, his family was quite satisfied. He noted that the condition of the unit was not too bad. "The goldware and wedding photos are still intact," he said, and the furniture was also unharmed. Compared to the unit next door, which had been burned to ashes, he felt relieved. "Maybe our unit is just located in a better direction," he added. He said that if possible, his parents would also want to go upstairs.

Mr. Mak, who returned to Wang Sun House yesterday (April 21) with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law to pack up his belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Mak, who returned to Wang Sun House yesterday (April 21) with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law to pack up his belongings, also received good news today. He had said yesterday that he had "been making suits for decades" and most hoped to find two suits that he had designed and sewn himself. This morning, his daughter, Miss Mak, told the reporter that she had successfully recovered her father's suits, adding that "the suits were the easiest to find".

The present condition of Mr. Mak's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Mak

The present condition of Mr. Mak's unit, Photo source: Offered by Mr. Mak