Wang Fuk Court residents will be allowed to enter their flats more than once within the three-hour limit to ensure they have ample time to retrieve their belongings following the government’s recent evaluation, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing said on Sunday.
Starting on Monday (Apr 20) until May 4, residents of the seven fire-affected blocks will be permitted to return in batches to collect their personal items. The first batch will open Wang Sun House, with each household allowed three hours upstairs.
Speaking on a radio program, Cheuk noted that over 1,670 households—representing approximately 97 percent of the total—have opted to return to their homes during the government’s scheduled periods.
Among them, 74 percent have registered for four people to enter their units, totaling about 6,000 people, including more than 1,420 elderly people aged 65 or above.
Meanwhile, 47 households have decided not to return, many of whom made the choice after viewing photographs of their units. For the fewer than 10 households unable to make their assigned time slots, the authorities will make separate arrangements.
Addressing residents’ needs to access their homes more than once, Cheuk said that after the latest evaluation, officials decided that residents may make entry to their flats more than once within the three-hour limit if necessary to facilitate the moving process.
Cheuk also highlighted concerns raised by residents regarding reports of media outlets inviting them to include journalists on their entry lists. He expressed his understanding of the residents’ anxieties, noting that many find returning to their homes to be a difficult and emotional experience and do not wish to be disturbed.
He reiterated that the purpose of the arrangement is strictly for residents to assess the condition of their units and retrieve belongings, calling on outside parties to respect the feelings of those affected and refrain from conducting interviews inside the buildings.
