Doraemon Fan's Cherished Memorabilia Ruined as Floor Melts, Social Workers' Unwavering Companionship Lights Her Hope for Recovery

Ms. Ho, a resident of Wang Shing House, went upstairs with three friends to retrieve her belongings, taking out 21 bags. Nevertheless, she estimated she had only collected about one-third of her possessions. while the rest would have to wait until the next round.

Ms. Ho, Photo by Bastille Post

She said the overall damage to her unit was less severe than expected, but the intense heat from the fire downstairs had melted the floor, destroying all the plastic storage boxes that had been on it. "Actually, the unit itself wasn't in too bad condition, but because of the high temperature downstairs, the floor melted, and things got stuck together," she explained. A whole box of her Doraemon collectibles that had been placed on the floor was destroyed and beyond recovery.

Ms. Ho took out a few of the successfully retrieved Doraemon figurines from the bags during the interview to show the reporter. Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Ho has a deep affection for Doraemon. Her collection, mostly gifts from friends accumulated over many years, holds great sentimental value. With her friends' help in salvaging some of the items, she took out a few of the successfully retrieved Doraemon figurines from the bags during the interview to show the reporter, describing them as having "commemorative value" that money cannot measure. She also managed to retrieve her treasured vinyl records of Anita Mui and Danny Chan, which she had kept for years. Although some records were damaged and warped, the rest were still salvageable. However, given the large number, she could only take them out in the next phase of retrieval.

Ms. Ho's Doraemon collection, Photo by Bastille Post

She especially thanked the social workers, who accompanied her throughout the process and helped collect and document items. "The social workers were very kind. They helped me carry things and kept records the whole time. I'm very grateful," she said. The Civil Aid Service and the police also assisted her. Ms. Ho mentioned that some items were temporarily stored, and she would pick them up later.

Ms. Ho thanked the social workers, who accompanied her throughout the process and helped collect and document items. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Liu, Photo by Bastille Post

Another resident of Wang Shing House, Mr. Liu, said his unit was left intact, almost frozen in time at the moment the fire broke out. "My brother's son's homework is still spread out on the table, and the bed is still as messy as ever," he recalled. Looking back, he said he missed the convenience and environment of Wang Fuk Court tremendously. "The bus stop was just a few steps away, there was a bike path nearby, the air was good, and the unit had a sea view," he said. With the building's scaffolding removed after the fire, he could once again see the sea view from his window today, but this time, his emotions were different from before.

Mr. Liu, Photo by Bastille Post

With only three hours allowed to retrieve his belongings, Mr. Liu chose to focus on retrieving family photo albums and precious mementos. He acknowledged that some neighbors still preferred to rebuild on the same site and were willing to wait even if it took nine or ten years. For himself, he felt a mix of disappointment and helplessness at being forced to leave the home he had lived in for over three decades. Still, he said he would try to look forward. "Since we cannot change what has already happened, the only thing to do is move forward," he said.

In its report, the Independent Committee on the Wang Fuk Court fire has put forward a series of immediate recommendations within the terms of reference of the various government departments. After analysis, the committee determined that the rapid spread of the fire at Wang Fuk Court was critically due to the use of combustible materials in temporary works, which created a continuous vertical fuel source. Evidence also showed that highly flammable foam boards were a key factor enabling the fire to spread between different units.

The committee suggested that the use of combustible materials, such as foam boards, on windows and external walls must be immediately prohibited. Photo source: reference image

In view of this, the committee has made multiple immediate recommendations. First, the use of combustible temporary materials, including foam boards, non-fire-retardant safety nets and plastic canvasses, must be immediately prohibited in light wells or related adjacent areas. Second, the storage of flammable temporary materials, wooden boards, or construction scaffolding materials above ground-floor exits must be immediately prohibited. In addition, the use of combustible materials, such as foam boards, on windows and external walls must be immediately prohibited.

The report also recommends an immediate prohibition on the creation of access openings in staircases and lift lobbies. If such openings cannot be avoided, then in accordance with the Buildings Department's circular letter of March this year, any opening in an escape staircase must be protected by a temporary fire barrier, and that barrier must have fire resistance performance equivalent to that of the original fire barrier. Meanwhile, all windows along escape routes must be fitted with fire-rated glass or fire-resistant glass meeting specified standards.

Wang Fuk Court. Photo source: reference image

The committee also noted that some older buildings retain staircase windows with upper sections that can be opened for ventilation, while lift lobbies also have openable windows. The committee recommends that, where the Government identifies similar designs, temporary warnings should be issued to ensure that these windows are kept closed; in the longer term, a review should be conducted to determine whether such designs should be replaced by sealed fire-rated windows.

In addition, the report recommends that, for large-scale maintenance involving more than one building, all external wall repairs must be carried out in phases.