Residents return to fire-ravaged Tai Po estate in Hong Kong to salvage belongings

Bikes, figurines, paintings and a safe are among cherished items rescued from the ashes of Wang Fuk Court, as residents begin returning under close monitoring by Hong Kong government staff. Wang Sun House residents, the first in the fire-ravaged Tai Po estate to return home for a three-hour packing session, told the South China Morning Post on Monday that the building's interior was blackened and ash was abundant in scorched flats. A 40-year-old resident surnamed Wong said his seventh-floor flat in Wang Sun House was badly burnt, with the floor covered in inches of ash “like charcoal after a barbecue”. While the railings in the stairwell remained intact, Wong described a putrid, burnt stench and a stifling feeling as he ascended while wearing a mask. Armed with a small shovel, Wong said he hoped to find the remains of his toy poodle, Dor Dor, to give it a proper goodbye. “I tried looking around its favourite spots in the flat, like the living room or the bedroom,” he said.