Wang Fuk Court residents prepare for emotional return to site of deadly fire
Grief counsellor and psychologist help residents prepare physically and mentally for the expected ‘sensory shock’ of returning to ravaged homes
For 66-year-old Ming Lee, the only way to get back to his flat in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court is by walking up 25 flights of stairs, after the deadly inferno at the housing estate last November destroyed seven of its eight buildings, including their lift systems.
Undaunted by the physical toll required, the retiree will ascend Wang Yan House next week and bid a final farewell to his home of four decades.
“I exercise regularly, but after the fire, my mood and physical condition both deteriorated,” Lee, who lived in the building with his wife and daughter, said.
Lee is among thousands of displaced Wang Fuk Court residents preparing to return to their flats next week for a three-hour visit arranged by the government to retrieve their belongings.
While residents expressed a wish to salvage valuables and memorabilia, experts warned that the gruelling climb and the trauma of returning to a disaster zone would require a “safety-first” strategy to ensure they would cope both physically and emotionally.
The fire that broke out at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court on November 26 last year killed 168 people and displaced almost 5,000 residents.