The residents of Wang Fuk Court continued return to their homes burned by fire to collect personal belongings over the weekend.
A family said they planned to take “one last photo” inside their flat, while a couple brought flowers to mourn a neighbor who died in the blaze.
Residents of Wang Cheong House, the tower first hit by the flames in November, as well as those of Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House – both of which suffered relatively little damage in the inferno – were allowed to return to their homes in groups on Saturday and Sunday.
Five months ago a fire broke out and engulfed seven of eight apartment blocks in Tai Po, killing 168 people and displacing thousands.
The government has offered to buy back the flats in the seven fire-damaged blocks and plans to demolish them and build a park or other community facilities on the site.
Returning with her sister and elderly parents, a Wang Tao House resident surnamed Poon said her family would take a group portrait in their apartment as a memento, local media reported. reported.
“We had many family gatherings here. Whenever a family member celebrated his birthday, we would come home for dinner… Many group photos were taken in this apartment. Many things happened here,” she told reporters in Cantonese.
“So, since this might be our last chance to go back, we’ve decided to take another family portrait inside the apartment.”
She said the three-hour limit for collecting items was not enough. “You need more than three hours to pack if you pack for vacation. Let alone if we take things from life.”
‘To say goodbye’
While some residents successfully recovered documents and valuables from their homes, others said there may not be much to save.
“Everything is burnt, there is not much to collect,” said an elderly resident of Wang Cheong House surnamed Tang, who moved there when Wang Fuk Court opened in 1983. said reporters in Cantonese.
She climbed the building with her daughter despite having to walk with a cane. The pair took only some jewellery, pottery and coins.
Tang also paid tribute to some neighbors on the same floor who could not escape the fire. “The neighbors were really nice. I was sad I couldn’t tell them to leave in time,” she said.
A resident named Ma and his wife brought flowers to mourn a neighbor who died in the fire after learning of the death in a Facebook group for residents.
“Now that we can go back… we want to pay tribute to him, say goodbye,” the man said.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court will continue to visit their homes until May 4, with some expressing a desire to come back a second time.
