ImmD sends shuttles to assist Tai Po fire survivors to replace lost ID cards

Hundreds of residents left with nothing after the Wang Fuk Court blaze began reclaiming their identities on Saturday, as the Immigration Department launched a special operation to ferry people from nine temporary shelters straight to its Tseung Kwan O headquarters for fast-track replacement of Hong Kong ID cards, passports, and mainland travel permits.

Buses started running from centers like CCC Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School shortly after 11am today, and by mid-afternoon the first group was already returning with new documents in hand.

Staff also arranged transport to the nearby China Travel Service office so residents could apply for Home Return Permits in one trip.

Survivors welcomed the door-to-door service, saying it spared elderly and less mobile neighbors the ordeal of long queues and multiple journeys at a time when many are still in shock and sleeping on friends’ floors.

One woman who lost everything except the ID in her pocket when she stepped out moments before the fire broke out called the arrangement a lifeline, while families juggling aid applications and funeral arrangements said being able to handle all paperwork in a single outing made an impossible week slightly less overwhelming.

The department has waived appointment requirements for anyone affected by the disaster and promised to deliver new ID cards directly back to the shelters by Monday, ensuring displaced residents can prove who they are when claiming emergency cash, opening bank accounts, or simply starting to rebuild their lives.