Gang Aoping says that by working together and drawing collective strength, the city will handle the relief efforts and overcome this difficult moment

On the afternoon of Nov 26, fires broke out in several residential buildings of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, causing significant casualties. In the face of the massive catastrophe, a tremendous force was quickly pulled gathered — from the central government to the special administrative region, from the government to the people, from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland — to fight the fire, rescue lives, and provide relief for the affected residents, a campaign fully demonstrating the compassion, unity, and great love among our people.

The central government pays great attention to the firefighting and relief work, and shows earnest concern for the affected residents. President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, immediately grasped the situation as it was developing with the firefighting work and casualties, and extended his sympathy to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for all-out efforts to put out the blaze and minimize the casualties and losses.

READ MORE: Xi calls for full support of fire rescue in Tai Po

A task group from the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee rushed to Hong Kong overnight and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also established an emergency task force to assist the SAR in all possible ways in its disaster relief efforts. The care and support from the central government have given Hong Kong powerful spiritual encouragement and strong confidence in overcoming the disaster.

The chief executive and the SAR government quickly responded to and handled the situation effectively. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu promptly convened an interdepartmental meeting to coordinate all policy bureaus and departments to go all out in carrying out firefighting and rescue operations. The SAR’s firefighters, police officers and medical personnel worked tirelessly to carry out rescue operations, with one firefighter heroically sacrificing his life to fight the fire and save others’ lives. After a tremendous effort, the fire has been completely brought under control, with numerous trapped residents now rescued.

Meanwhile, the post-disaster relief work is being carried out comprehensively and meticulously. The SAR government’s relevant departments have jointly set up aid stations to assist the affected residents and have increased the number of emotional counseling service personnel to support the families of the victims. A “whole-government mobilization” mechanism has been established to provide sufficient personnel for relevant operations, and to coordinate public and private relief-work forces to address the short- and medium-term accommodation needs of affected residents, including by opening up nine shelter centers and identifying a total of 1,800 housing units, initially.

The SAR government established an aid fund on Thursday with an initial fund allocation of HK$300 million ($38.54 million), and has been distributing emergency subsidies to the affected residents. The SAR government has also established a special task force to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the disaster and has immediately arranged for inspections of all housing estates undergoing major repairs in the city to ensure they meet safety requirements.

That the chief executive and the SAR government swiftly and forcefully responded to, and proactively and effectively handled the incident, fully demonstrated their sense of responsibility and courage as the “head of the Hong Kong household” and the “first person responsible”.

All quarters of Hong Kong society have worked together to fight the disaster, demonstrating sympathy and solidarity. Members of district council and community care teams in the affected area immediately joined the rescue and relief efforts, manning shelters round the clock to assist with the resettling of victims, and helped at the fire scene with evacuation, supply distribution, and emotional support. Candidates for the upcoming eighth-term Legislative Council election, along with relevant political organizations and community groups, redirected their focus to disaster relief, doing their utmost and mobilizing all available resources to support rescue efforts. Numerous charitable organizations and leading enterprises have made generous financial contributions, while ordinary residents launched a spontaneous “relay of love” campaign, facilitating the continuous supply of materials, including clothing, food, and drinking water to the temporary shelters. Many restaurants offered free meals to affected residents, and long queues formed at blood donation centers as numerous residents came forward to play their part. The Chinese tradition of “when one place suffers misfortune, help comes from all quarters” is once again on vivid display. Whether by offering financial support or personal assistance, every touching gesture and every moving image conveyed the profound spirit of solidarity and mutual care that defines Hong Kong society.

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In the meantime, the mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region expressed their condolences over the disaster and extended timely support. Mainland institutions conveyed their sympathy to Hong Kong through various channels. Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai extended his condolences to Chief Executive John Lee. Under the emergency coordination mechanism of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong province and Shenzhen city responded promptly to the Hong Kong SAR government’s assistance requests by providing urgently needed equipment, including thermal imaging drones and long-endurance power drones, significantly enhancing on-site assessment and emergency coordination capabilities at the fire scene. The Red Cross Society of China and many major mainland enterprises also made relief efforts, with donations and supplies being swiftly delivered to Hong Kong. The deep bonds of kinship and the strong sense of national unity demonstrated in the process have added warmth to the hearts of Hong Kong residents as well as strength to the disaster relief efforts.

United as one, Hong Kong will prevail. With the strong backing of the central government and mainland compatriots, and under the leadership of the SAR government, all quarters of Hong Kong society are once again demonstrating the Lion Rock spirit — a symbol of the city’s perseverance and unity — in fighting the disaster. By working together, staying focused, and drawing collective strength, the city will, for sure, effectively handle the post-disaster relief efforts, overcome this difficult moment, and forge ahead.

(Source: Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council)