‘Like charcoal’: Wang Fuk Court residents sift through ashes for belongings
Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk says first day of phased re-entry proceeded ‘in an orderly manner’ and describes process as ‘largely smooth’
Members of more than 70 former households of a fire-damaged block of Wang Fuk Court returned to their homes on Monday for the first time since a deadly inferno ravaged the estate last November to recover cherished items such as wedding rings, paintings and a safe.
Three suspected cases of theft were also under investigation by police after Wang Sun House residents finished counting their losses on Monday.
The block’s residents were the first to return to the estate in Tai Po as part of a government scheme that gave them three hours to pack up their things.
Some told the South China Morning Post that the building’s interior was heavily blackened by the fire and ashes were everywhere in scorched flats.
A 40-year-old resident surnamed Wong said his seventh-floor flat was badly burnt, with the floor covered in inches of ash “like charcoal after a barbecue”.
While the railings in the stairwell remained intact, Wong described a putrid, burnt stench and a stifling feeling as he walked up to his flat while wearing a mask.
Armed with a small shovel, Wong said he hoped to find the remains of his toy poodle, Dor Dor, to give it a proper goodbye.