Tai Po fire survivors mourn heroine who alerted neighbours to flames

Survivors of Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades have mourned a woman who heroically knocked on neighbours’ doors to alert them to the flames but died in the tragedy, after fire alarms at Wang Fuk Court failed to go off. Pak Shui-lin’s husband, Sdanni Yip Ka-kui, and neighbour Lam Yin-ming, both Wang Tai House residents, praised the heroine for her kindness, but said that “she did not deserve to suffer such a fate”. They made the remarks on Monday as they testified at the fifth session of an evidential hearing held by a judge-led independent committee to investigate the cause of the fire. The pair said Pak had knocked on doors on her floor to alert them to evacuate, saving many lives, but later died during the blaze. “I would say her move to knock on the doors is a natural one,” Yip told the committee. “It is a simple move that everyone would do.” The fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, engulfing seven of the estate’s eight blocks and raging for about 43 hours. The blaze killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Last week, the committee heard that the fire was likely to have started at Wang Cheong House’s light well outside flats 104 and 105 at around 2.51pm. Yip said he had left his own block at around 3pm to check on the situation after learning that Wang Cheong House, where his younger son lived, had caught fire, leaving Pak at home. The flames quickly spread to the scaffolding mesh covering Wang Tai House, prompting him to call Pak to evacuate at around 3.10pm. But he learned from his wife that the corridor of his building floor had filled with thick, dark smoke, making it impossible for her to leave the block or return to their flat. Yip lost contact with her after she hung up the phone. In the attempts to locate her after the fire, Yip learned from neighbours that Pak had alerted neighbours living in flat 1703, where Lam lived, and flat 1704, which was home to an elderly woman, an infant and a domestic helper. While neighbours alerted by Pak managed to survive the blaze, she was confirmed dead several days after the fire. “I could have done better. If I had called her earlier, this might not have happened,” said Yip, whose younger son was unscathed by the fire. He also slammed the government counsel’s opening statement at the hearing, arguing it reflected an ingrained practice of authorities using established procedures and legal constraints to evade responsibility. “A lot of residents, including myself, are blaming ourselves,” he said. “But the people who should bear responsibility are dodging their duties.” Yip added that the government’s passive response to complaints about fire hazards before the blaze and the lack of willingness to do more “humiliated the duties and dignity” of civil servants. Testifying at the hearing, neighbour Lam said she had only decided to evacuate with her dog after Pak knocked on her door. Lam added that she did not see Pak after leaving the building and assumed she had already escaped. “I want to thank Mrs Yip and her family, and I hope the truth can be uncovered,” she said. “Mrs Yip was such a kind person, and she did not deserve to suffer such a fate.” Wang Chi House resident So Hiu-fung, whose parents died in the fire, also testified on Monday. So told the committee that he only learned that the couple, who lived in Wang Cheong House, had tried to call for help via the 999 emergency line after details about the fire were revealed at the hearing. He also learned at the hearing that fallen firefighter Ho Wai-ho had been on call to rescue them. So said that he had been on a call with his parents while they attempted to evacuate, and heard his mother say “we are screwed” before losing contact with them. “I cannot imagine how helpless my parents were,” he said tearfully, while expressing his gratitude to firefighter Ho. He also responded to criticisms from some quarters that displaced residents were being “greedy”, with apparent references to their stance on the government’s resettlement plan. “Yes, we are greedy. We are greedy about the truth and justice,” he said. “After knowing the truth, we hope to plug the loopholes in the system and ensure such accidents do not happen a second time.”

Tai Po fire survivors mourn heroine who alerted neighbours to flames

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pak Shui-lin’s husband, Sdanni Yip, and neighbour Lam Yin-ming say heroine, who died during fire, ‘did not deserve to suffer such a fate’

Pak Shui-lin’s husband, Sdanni Yip, and neighbour Lam Yin-ming say heroine, who died during fire, ‘did not deserve to suffer such a fate’