Residents of Wang Cheong House and Wang Yan House Start to Go Upstairs to Retrieve Belongings

Residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have begun returning in batches to retrieve their belongings. Today (April 23) marked the first day of the second phase, with the arrangement of residents from five floors of Wang Cheong House and ten floors of Wang Yan House to return to their units.  Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr. Tang Ping Keung, Secretary for Security, and Mr. To Wing Hang, Director of Social Welfare, inspected the site in the morning and met the media.

Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (center), Mr. Tang Ping Keung, Secretary for Security (left), and Mr. To Wing Hang, Director of Social Welfare (right), inspected the site in the morning and met the media. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing said that Wang Cheong House and Wang Tai House sustained severe fire damage, with a higher number of fatalities, and residents there required additional support. Consequently, five floors in each building have been opened for access successively over six days. A police officer will accompany each household's resident go upstairs. For units where deaths occurred, a clinical psychologist from the Social Welfare Department and a social worker will accompany each household. Additional support will be provided if needed, including increasing the police escort to two officers. Civil Aid Service personnel, along with specialized team social workers, clinical psychologists, and social workers on the site, will also join as required.

Mr. Cheuk Wing Hing, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Cheuk also noted that during his inspections over the past few days, he was heartened to see residents retrieving their cherished belongings and that the support provided by his colleagues and Care Teams had been well received. As of Wednesday, around 600 households had expressed hope in returning to their units again, and arrangements would be made for those who had the same requirement today.

Mr. To Wing Hang, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. To Wing Hang said some residents were unable to go upstairs at their scheduled times. They have been notified and can coordinate with their designated social worker, and the matter will be actively addressed.

Mr. Tang Ping Keung, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tang Ping Keung said that while the Police Force has used exoskeletons during the period, experience has shown that the operation requires specific expertise and carries certain risks. Therefore, the government will not provide them and will remind the public of the associated risks.

Residents returned to Wang Yan House to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Residents returned to Wang Yan House to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Residents returned to Wang Yan House to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Residents to returned to Wang Cheong House to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Residents to returned to Wang Cheong House to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Yip, a resident of Wang Tai House whose unit was severely damaged in the Tai Po fire, lost his wife in the blaze. According to Mr. Yip, his wife alerted neighbours to escape, saving five lives, but tragically did not survive. He said that when he goes upstairs to retrieve his belongings in the coming days, he will bring a bouquet of flowers in memory of his wife. "I would tell her to leave, not to stay here," he said. He noted there would be no other special memorial ceremony — that he would simply stare blankly at a spot in his unit.

Mr. Yip, Photo by Bastille Post

According to government arrangements, residents of Wang Tai House will not be able to collect their belongings until the middle of next week. Mr. Yip returned to Wang Fuk Court today to prepare, planning to go upstairs tomorrow (April 24) with his two sons and daughter-in-law to retrieve their belongings. His sons live on the 6th floor of Wang Cheong House. They have prepared backpacks and bags.

Some of the Wang Fuk residents returned to their units to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Yip said he was worried that three hours would not be enough. He also said he did not want to use the word "farewell," because he hoped to return to his own unit for living in the future. He believed that many units did not appear to be severely damaged, and the government could propose a win-win solution, allowing repairable units to be fixed so that residents could go home.

Residents prepared bags to pack their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

In addition, Mr. Yip pointed out that the government spent four months and a significant amount of money dismantling scaffolding. He questioned why at least one elevator in each building had not been repaired during that period, so that elderly residents could return home more easily.

Mr. Yip, Photo by Bastille Post