Residents of Wang Chi House — the only building in Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, not directly affected by last week’s fatal fire — will be allowed to briefly return to their homes to retrieve personal belongings on Wednesday and Thursday, the police announced on Tuesday.
The blaze is believed to have originated on the lower-floor mesh netting of Wang Cheong House and rapidly spread across seven of the eight towers in the estate — Wang Yan House, Wang Tao House, Wang Sun House, Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, and Wang Shing House. The fire has displaced around 2,000 families, and over 2,600 residents have been relocated to government-provided youth hostels, hotel rooms, or transitional housing units as of Tuesday.
A free shuttle bus service will transport residents to and from their temporary accommodation. Entry to Wang Chi House will be permitted between 9 am and 9 pm on both days. Residents must present valid identification, and each household may send up to two people who can stay inside for up to 1.5 hours.
READ MORE: CE: Need to stop vested interests to prevent recurrence of tragedies
Each resident will be accompanied by officers from the Home Affairs Department and the Quick Response Unit under the Civil Service Bureau, and police officers will be stationed on every floor of the building.
Authorities have completed search operations in six buildings. Police reported finding five more bodies on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 156, with 29 victims yet to be identified. Another 30 people remain unaccounted for.
So far, police have arrested 15 people, aged between 40 and 77, on suspicion of manslaughter. All are believed to be involved in the estate’s renovation project, which began in July 2024 and was contracted to Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, whose directors and an engineering consultant are among those detained.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the fire spread quickly due to construction materials failing to meet flame-retardant standards, further exacerbated by the use of highly flammable foam materials attached to the windows during renovation.
READ MORE: Judge to head committee probing Tai Po fire disaster
As investigations continue, the police have opened ten hotlines for the public to submit video footage or photos to aid the inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Labour Department has launched a citywide inspection campaign targeting the fire protection facilities and emergency preparedness at maintenance sites with large-scale scaffolding. Between Friday and Tuesday afternoon, the department inspected 110 construction sites, issuing 70 written warnings, 46 improvement notices, and initiating 11 prosecutions.
Police have also cautioned the public about online scams exploiting the tragedy, and urged residents to donate only through official, verified channels.
The disaster has also disrupted local education. Tai Po Baptist Public School, located across the street from the fire site, has been temporarily closed. Students are scheduled to attend classes at two other schools starting from mid-December.
Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com
