Survivors return to Hong Kong homes 5 months after deadly fire

Survivors of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades began returning to their homes Monday to assess the devastation and retrieve their belongings, five months after the blaze swept across seven of eight buildings in an apartment complex in the Tai Po district. The fire, which occurred in November, killed 168 people. Over 260 residents returned on the first day, with the process expected to continue into early May.

The return visits underscore the displacement and loss facing surviving residents of a complex where approximately 4,600 people lived before the fire. The visits come as the government considers demolishing the seven damaged buildings rather than repairing them, leaving many residents uncertain about whether they will be able to rebuild their lives on the same site.

The Return

Keung Mak knew what he would find when he returned to his apartment on Monday. His social worker had shown him photos of the devastation. He went anyway.

For the first time since Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades engulfed his building in November, the 78-year-old stepped back into his former home. The ceiling was burned so severely that steel rebar was visible. Broken tiles covered the floor. Parts of the apartment needed reinforcement to prevent collapse.

“All things were burned and turned into ashes,” Mak said.

The fire swept across seven of the eight buildings in the apartment complex in Tai Po, killing 168 people. Starting Monday, survivors began a process of return—to see what remained, to retrieve what could be salvaged, to confront loss.

Over 260 residents came on the first day of what officials expected would extend into early May. Hong Kong Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk noted that over 1,400 people registered to return are 65 or older, according to public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong. Police received requests for help from residents who suspected their belongings had been stolen.

The complex had housed approximately 4,600 people before the fire. The return was physically challenging for older residents, who made up more than a third of the population. With elevators out of service, some had been training to improve their fitness in preparation for climbing stairs in the 31-story buildings.

Loss and Grief

Keung Mak’s wife, Kit Chan, 74, described their home as ruins. A box that stored her jewelry including two diamond rings was empty. She suspected theft and reported the loss to authorities.

“My mood is not so good because when I think of valuable, worth remembering items, they are all lost,” she said, pointing to a red cloth with guest signatures from her wedding.

Other residents reported finding some items—a painting, wedding rings, a damaged jewelry box. But many came away empty-handed. Police had arrested three men in March on suspicion of stealing from the site during the months when the complex remained largely unoccupied.

Steven Chung climbed several flights of blackened staircases to retrieve some valuables, but his concern extended beyond what he might recover.

“I worry about another problem because housing prices are increasing rapidly these days,” he said.

Rebuilding Questions

As officials investigate the cause of the fire, questions remain about what comes next. A lawyer representing an independent committee investigating the blaze said almost all fire safety systems failed on the day of the fire because of human error.

The government has proposed to demolish the seven damaged buildings and to buy back homeownership rights from residents—a plan that has left many uncertain about their futures. Officials cited results from a residents’ survey in reaching that decision.

But some residents questioned the demolition plan. Data from the fire inquiry showed that only half of approximately 1,700 apartments in the seven buildings were damaged, to varying degrees.

Cyrus Ng, 39, lived on the 10th floor with his parents for over a decade before moving out. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, he could not sleep, feeling angry, sad and worried about his parents. Nearly five months later, he is more emotionally settled but has not fully accepted what happened.

“We know there are suspicious issues behind this,” Ng said. “I hope we can really find the truth.”

Ng plans to take photos of his apartment during his return to document its condition and help prove that some homes were unaffected. His parents were already considering the government’s offer of an apartment elsewhere.

The Building Left Behind

Residents of the only building that escaped the fire face their own challenges. Stephanie Leung, who lives in that building, is reluctant to return to her apartment. She said her family faces great mental stress every time they look out over the seven other buildings where their former schoolmates and friends died.

“Whenever I go back, I want to cry,” she said.

She hopes the government will include her building in the same rebuilding plan as the damaged buildings while allowing those who want to remain to do so.

The process of return will continue through early May as thousands of survivors visit the complex to see what remains of their lives before the fire.