As residents of Wang Fuk Court returned home on Saturday, some for the first time since the fatal fire five months ago, many are questioning the government’s recovery strategy, criticizing a costly proposal to demolish an undamaged building and calling for better communication with affected households.
A resident surnamed Leung voiced strong reservations about the plan to acquire and tear down Wang Chi House, a block that was not damaged in the fire.
He questioned the financial sense of spending an estimated HK$1 billion of public money on the acquisition and demolition when repairing the fire-damaged blocks would cost only a fraction of that amount.
He argued that using taxpayer funds for a solution that was not the most cost-effective was questionable.
Another resident, surnamed Chan from Wang Shing House, expressed his frustration with the long delay in being able to return and the lack of suitable options presented by the government.
Having already retrieved his valuables during the evacuation, he returned mainly for documents but lamented the uncertainty of the future. Both residents highlighted the deep emotional connection many feel to the estate, expressing a strong collective desire to return to the homes where they grew up.
Chan stressed that without better dialogue between officials and residents, it was unlikely a resolution could be found.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
