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.

Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. The first batch of residents to return is from Wang Tai House, Wang Sun House, and Wang Yan House. Each unit may be accessed by up to four residents, who may stay inside for up to three hours, with no restrictions on the number of entries and exits.

Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Ho, a Wang Tai resident who has lived there since 1985, said she had already retrieved most of her belongings earlier. This time, she wanted to go through every corner carefully. "Since I have lived in Wang Fuk Court for so many years, I have a deep affection for every part of this place," she said. Despite the heavy rainfall today, she continued her retrieval as scheduled. "I want to take a second, careful look at my home."

Ms. Ho, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Wan, who has also lived in Wang Yan House since 1985, said his greatest wish this time was to retrieve a photo taken more than a decade ago - a picture of his father holding him in their family shop. He grew up in that store and treasures the memory. Mr. Wan revealed that during the previous retrieval, most of his home remained intact, and he had already recovered gold jewelry and the house deed. "I'd be satisfied just to get back a stack of photos this time," he said. Mr. Wan is currently living in government-provided transitional housing, though he believes the living environment needs improvement: "It's hard to cook, the bathroom is tiny, and when it poured yesterday, water leaked right through the ceiling."

Mr. Wan, Photo by Bastille Post

Mrs. Kwok, who lives on a lower floor of Wang Tai House, returned to her old home to retrieve her belongings. She packed up an undamaged umbrella — not particularly valuable, she admitted, but "better than nothing." She also recovered some small souvenirs and her son's Octopus card. Describing her mixed emotions, she said she was grateful to see her old neighbors again, yet could not hide her sadness in the face of the disaster. Choking back tears during the interview, she said, "I'm so grateful that so many people have come to help us. I'm very happy that I can come up again today and retrace the memories of the past." She added that she had known the family in unit 802 for many years and had watched their children grow up. She revealed that the neighbor's father had died in the fire and that many of the neighbors she knew also lost their lives. Mrs. Kwok said she is currently staying in Kai Tak, while her husband is temporarily living at their son's home.

Mrs. Kwok, Photo by Bastille Post

Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post

Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. Photo by Bastille Post