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

Ms. Wong, who has lived in Wang Kin House for over 20 years, completed belongings retrieval and told reporters that her unit was in good condition, but she still felt unhappy about returning. "I've lived here for so many years, but I still have to leave my beloved home," she said. Now residing temporarily in Kowloon City, she plans to find another place to live in Kai Tak or Tai Po. "I don't want to stay in Wang Fuk Court any longer, since I'm a little scared. If there can be another place to choose in the future, I want to look forward," she added.

Ms. Wong, Photo by Bastille Post

She went upstairs for retrieval once, saying three hours was enough. There were no signs of theft or cigarette butts inside, but she did find a lot of rat droppings. She took away the porcelain figurines left by her father, property deeds, documents, money, and jewellery. "I took everything I wanted," she said, adding that she did not plan to go back upstairs.

Ms. So, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. So, who had lived on the 9th floor of Wang Kin House with her youngest son for over 40 years, also said she did not want to return to Wang Fuk Court. She admitted that after five months, she had grown somewhat numb to the experience of returning and would not want to come back anymore. In her view, it's hard to live here any longer. "It's a huge shadow for me," she said.

She hopes to exchange her Wang Fuk unit for a new one. "I want to find a place to live as soon as possible, whichever area can be ready first. I don't want to wait too long."

Ms. To,, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. To, who has lived on the 5th floor of Wang Kin House for seven years, also found her unit undamaged, aside from some dust in the kitchen. "The unit is complete and very clean. I don't even need to wear gloves for retrieval," she said. She expressed joy at being able to retrieve all her cherished belongings, including her daughter's photos, money, and rings, etc.

She revealed that the unit was bought when her daughter got married. "We're still paying off the mortgage, on a unit we can no longer live in." Looking forward to the future, she said she would be satisfied if she could be allocated an ideal replacement unit. "The sad times are over, and I hope to look forward."

She also praised government staff for their helpfulness, saying their assistance deeply touched her. "The social workers and Civil Aid Service were very proactive in helping me. I didn't have to carry anything; they just helped me with everything."

Government staff have provided much assistance to Wang Fuk residents. Photo by Bastille Post