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SCMP Reporters

On the bathroom door of a cluttered, silent flat in Wang Fuk Court, a calendar remains on the page for November 2025 – the month a deadly fire broke out at the Tai Po estate in Hong Kong.
Resident Joe* and his wife Annie* took photos of each room of their undamaged flat for what they believed would be their final visit.
While time appeared to have stood still in this space, every room reeked of a mixture of sweat and mould, and ants crawled across dusty kitchen walls.
A foul stench wafted out the moment the freezer was cracked open. Outside the window, vacant charred towers stood eerily under the sun, surrounded by debris.
Before making his final trip down the stairs with the last of his belongings, Joe pressed the lift button a few times, even though he knew it no longer worked.
“There will never be another chance to press this button again,” he said, his T-shirt soaked with sweat, casting one last glance at his home of more than 40 years.
“Farewell, Wang Fuk Court.”
The couple, in their forties, lived in Wang Kin House, one of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks. The estate was undergoing a HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) renovation project when the fire broke out on November 26 last year and raged for about 43 hours, killing 168 people and displacing nearly 5,000 others.
Joe and Annie were among the residents allowed to pack up their belongings during a second round of visits on Sunday, just two days shy of six months since the fire. Each family raced against a three-hour ticking clock.
The government had arranged a second round of visits in May after some residents expressed hope to return one more time, but an extension to a third round had not been confirmed.
During his first time back home since the fire, Joe – who works as a driver – said he made eight trips bringing his family’s belongings down the stairs.
Back then, he managed to retrieve the flat deed, jewellery, his wedding ring and photo albums, as well as wall-mounted electric fans, computers and television screens.

His goal for the second visit was to recover any usable necessities, including clothes, ceramic bowls and plates, a rice cooker, and even the gas stove, as well as hand soap and instant noodles. The couple also grabbed student exercise books and a collection of Pokemon cards – items much cherished by their two sons.
To maximise the volume of items in each trip downstairs, Joe brought screwdrivers to dismantle household appliances. He also brought dozens of large duffel bags to transport belongings down the stairs.
For electrical appliances, Joe wrapped clothes around the items for insulation before putting them inside the bag, then dragged it down the stairs to ease the weight. He also loaded large, bulky bags with clothes and strapped them to his back like a backpack.
For Annie, what surprised her was finding a few red packets filled with cash in her wardrobe. She was also able to retrieve a black skirt bought from Japan.
Civil Aid Service officers and volunteers helped with the move. After making a trip down, Joe and other residents followed a designated pathway to exit the block, then placed the bags at a nearby school used as an unloading area.
Other residents deposited belongings filled in red, white and blue woven bags, Ikea blue bags, large backpacks and suitcases. Officers were deployed to look after their belongings.
“This is like a marathon,” Joe said, gulping down bottled water before heading back up. “We have been thinking about the packing strategy every day.”
Wang Fuk Court was the only home he had ever known since infancy. It bore witness to his marriage and his children, housing three generations under a single roof.
“I had planned to live there for my whole life,” Joe said.

The family of six is temporarily staying at a friend’s flat. They are likely to opt for a “flat-for-flat” exchange for new subsidised homes, Joe said.
The original hope was to move back after in situ redevelopment, which was a proposal that had been floated earlier.
“If they had just told us from day one that there would be no in situ redevelopment, there would have been no false hope,” Joe said.
But Annie considered herself lucky, with the family surviving the disaster and all valuable possessions safe at home.
Burglary fears emerged in April after a resident reported that drawers and boxes had been rummaged through, prompting a police investigation.
Wiping away his sweat, Joe said that, before leaving their flat, he was pleasantly surprised to find precious childhood albums that his father had kept all along. But he felt torn.
“Retrieving our belongings seemed like something worth celebrating,” he said.
“But actually, we lost our home.”
Interviewees’ names were changed upon request.


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Wang Fuk Court family’s marathon efforts to retrieve belongings one last time

Joe and Annie visit their flat. Photo: Theodora Yu

Residents Joe and his wife Annie visit their flat at Wang Kin House. Photo: SCMP

Residents in yellow helmets return to their homes to collect their belongings. Photo: Elson Li

Wang Fuk Court at Tai Po. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong banks replace burnt cash from residents of fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court

Wang Fuk Court residents return to their flats earlier this month. Photo: Eugene Lee

Government to handle Wang Fuk Court insurance claims under buy-back plan: Hop On

The government has earmarked HK$6.8 billion to acquire flats at seven of the eight blocks of the estate damaged by the fire. Photo: Sam Tsang

Some Wang Fuk Court residents say questions remain over how and when they can expect to receive insurance compensation. Photo: Jelly Tse

Spared Wang Fuk Court block owners given mid-October to finalise buyback offer

Wang Chi House (centre) of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Sun Yeung

Residents of Wang Chi House return to their flats to collect their belongings. Photo: Elson Li

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Residents Joe and Annie race against time to pack anything valuable they can find during second and final visit


Residents Joe and Annie race against time to pack anything valuable they can find during second and final visit.


Hong Kong society

Hong Kong fires and safety

Hong Kong housing

Accidents and personal safety in Hong Kong

Wang Fuk Court family’s marathon efforts to retrieve belongings one last time

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Residents Joe and Annie race against time to pack anything valuable they can find during second and final visit

Residents Joe and Annie race against time to pack anything valuable they can find during second and final visit