Hong Kong Residents Return to Fire-Damaged Homes Facing 3-Hour Window to Save Belongings

Residents of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court are wrestling with a fresh sense of loss after returning to their former homes damaged in last November's fire, as they are forced to choose what to pack and what to leave behind within a limited time frame and under practical constraints. Cecilia* is one such Hongkonger. She considers herself fortunate to have discovered that her upper-floor flat was largely undamaged by the blaze. But now she faces losing family treasures, precious metals and antique furniture if she cannot find a way to get them down the stairs of her building in time. The fire at Wang Fuk Court burned through seven of the estate's eight blocks, killing 168 people and leaving nearly 5,000 others displaced. Residents of the seven fire-damaged blocks are only now getting the chance to return home under a government scheme that started on April 20 and will finish this Monday. Each registered household has been allocated just three hours inside their flats on specific dates determined by which building they lived in. Authorities previously said about 600 families had requested a second visit, with arrangements to be made for them.