Last Look, Last Words: Wang Fuk Residents Pen Farewell Notes to Their Lost Homes

Today (April 27), residents from about five floors of Wang Cheong House and ten floors of Wang Tao House returned to their units to retrieve belongings successively.

Photo by Bastille Post

Among them was 13-year-old Edan, who arrived on site with his family, carrying a large blue backpack and an orange tote bag. Having lived on the 15th floor of Wang Tao House for five or six years, he said he had not seen any photos of his unit before going upstairs and had no idea what condition it was in. He admitted that he had taken the initiative to return. “I just wanted to see my home one last time,” he said, adding that going back to retrieve belongings would not affect his schooling too much.

Edan, Photo by Bastille Post

After three hours of retrieval, Edan came downstairs carrying his violin. He said the unit was dusty and a bit messy, with burn damage in the kitchen and bathroom. Nevertheless, it's not too difficult to collect belongings, and the overall layout of the unit hasn't changed much. He had also recovered his math competition medals and certificates, but said he wanted to go upstairs again because "the large furniture and appliances are still there."

Mr. Lo, Photo by Bastille Post

Another resident, Mr. Lo, also from Wang Tao House, said he felt pity that he could no longer live there due to the fire damage. Today, he brought a backpack, hoping to recover some valuables, but more importantly, to bid farewell to the home he had lived in for decades. “I have written something on paper,” he said, “and hope to leave behind some memories in my unit.”

Mr. Tse, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tse, having lived on the 8th floor of Wang Tao House for 20 years, said, “The whole Wang Fuk Court is full of memories.” What he wanted most to retrieve was a Bible and the instant water heater his mother used when taking her medicine. He came with only a bag today, explaining, “I still want to come back.”

Mr. Wu, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Wu, who lived on the 21st floor of Wang Cheong House, said he and his three family members were trapped at the disaster site for 15 hours before firefighters rescued them. They ended up spending 14 days in the hospital due to excessive carbon monoxide absorption, which caused damage to their lower limb muscles and joints. Fortunately, they have all recovered quite well.

As for today, the family has retrieved several items, including a neck warmer and a backpack belonging to their French bulldog, along with other keepsakes of sentimental value.

"My family immediately sent me some videos once they arrived at the unit," Mr. Wu said. "The unit looked largely intact. I waited for a while, but they didn't contact me. I figured no news is good news."

Wearing the same clothes he had on the day of the fire, Mr. Wu, who now lives on the fourth floor of a transitional housing unit, said he had felt complicated these days and found it hard to describe his mood. Nevertheless, he also mentioned that, since he has kept the habit of taking the stairs and exercising, he hopes to go upstairs again and has already prepared for it.

Photo by Bastille Post

According to police figures at the scene, 59 residents registered for retrieval at Wang Cheong House and 151 at Wang Tau House, respectively.

Inside every unit in Wang Fuk Court lies a story. For residents returning to their fire-ravaged homes, many of those stories have ended in heartbreak.

Mr. Cheung, who returned to his 22nd-floor unit in Wang Cheong House today, said the actual damage was worse than he had expected. His home stood dark, with dust-covered windows that once framed a sea view he dearly loved. Having developed deep feelings for Wang Fuk Court over the years, Mr. Cheung said he started working as a teenager to save money and bought his unit in Wang Cheong House at the age of 28. “It felt like a reward to me,” he said. “A place I love.”

Mr. Cheung, Photo by Bastille Post

He described the lobby and stairwell as completely blackened. "Once you walk into the lobby, you just know everything is destroyed." He recalled grabbing only his cat and bird on the day of the fire. As for today, he filled a dozen bags with what was left in his unit. He mentioned that since the police had helped carry the baggage on site, he didn't feel much fatigue.

Mr. Cheung's dirty fingers said it all: the unit was blanketed in dust after the fire. Photo by Bastille Post

He said he had always treasured Wang Fuk Court and its surroundings, especially the sea view. But now, facing an uncertain future, he admitted to feeling deeply torn. Since most of the government-allocated replacement units under the lottery system are small, if he does not want to live in a small unit, he will have to find another option on his own, leaving him unsure where he will live in the coming days.

Ms. Fung, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Fung, a resident of Unit 2702 of Wang Cheong House, choked back tears after she went upstairs to collect her belongings. She said that after more than 20 years of living in Wang Fuk Court, her home, along with all her commemorative items and memories, had been reduced to ashes. The whereabouts of her pet cat, which she had kept for over a decade, also remained unknown after the fire. "I'm not sure whether it got separated from us or turned into ashes," she said.

Ms. Fung mentioned that her mother had been trapped in the fire for 20 hours, and she was grateful to the firefighters for rescuing her. But she grew sorrowful as she spoke of Wang Fuk Court: It was an old neighbourhood where neighbours showed genuine warmth to one another, and where her home once faced the sea and enjoyed the comfort of the sea breeze. She admitted she had no intention of going upstairs again.

"I searched for a long time, but there was so much dust that I could barely find anything. Although I recovered some gold and silver items, they are so badly burned that I can no longer even recognise what they used to look like," she said.