Authorities on Friday announced that residents of the seven blocks affected by the Wang Fuk Court fire last November could return home to retrieve their personal belongings in batches from April 20 to May 4.

The affected residents will be allowed to stay for up to three hours inside their flat to collect their belongings during a designated time slot.

Four people will be allowed in at once while the affected residents can nominate anyone as representatives to go in their stead.

For flats at Wang Fuk that suffered structural damage due to the fire, only two people will be allowed in.

For the more severely damaged units, only one person will be allowed access.

The collection period will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions, from 9am to 1pm; and 2.30pm to 6.30pm.

Residents from Wang Sun House will be the first allowed into the building from April 20 to 22.

This will be followed by those from Wang Cheong House, Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House between April 23 and 28.

Residents from Wang Tai House, Wang Kin House and Wang Shing House will be the last allowed in from April 29 to May 4.

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said 1,000 government workers will be deployed every day and the whole process is expected to take 15 days.

He said the decision to allot three hours for people to collect their belongings was made after careful consideration.

“People should understand if we allow extra time, like allowing six hours to collect belongings. This will mean doubling the time for the whole process,” he said.

“They should understand that all residents are desperate following the government announcement to collect belongings from their flat. They don’t want to wait for a long period of time. So we plan to complete the whole process in 15 days. We think that’s reasonable.”

He said if anyone has an urgent need to re-enter their flat at a later date, they can discuss it with their designated social worker and arrangements may be made according to the actual situation.

Following the government announcement, some Wang Fuk residents expressed the hope that authorities would grant them extra time to collect belongings from their flats.

"We are not just packing things. We also need time to say goodbye to our homes," a woman surnamed Kwong told RTHK.

"I will go straight for the items I treasure most – the jewellery my father gave me and my engagement ring."

Another resident, Pian, said the three-hour window is not enough to retrieve decades of memories from the estate.

"There are years of old photos of my children that I cannot leave behind. If we don't get these back, those memories will be lost forever," she said.

Those who enter the buildings will need to wear a mask, gloves and safety helmet.

They will also need to be accompanied by a police officer or a member of the Civil Aid Service.

Police will deploy officers at each building entrance and on the staircases of the opened floors.

Residents can file a report with the authorities at a nearby enquiry centre if they suspect their belongings were stolen from their flat.

Free shuttle bus services will be provided every 15 minutes to and from Wang Fuk Court and Tai Po MTR Station from 8.15am.
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Last updated: 2026-03-27 HKT 21:55


Edited by Tony Sabine