Wang Fuk Court Residents Reenter Burned Homes Nearly 5 Months Later

Residents of Hong Kong's fire-hit Wang Fuk Court began supervised returns on April 20, 2026, entering damaged flats for the first time since the November 2025 blaze that killed 168 people. The staged operation, confirmed by Hong Kong's government and reported from the estate by AP, allows displaced households to retrieve belongings while officials continue a broader inquiry and rehousing effort.

Key developments

• The return plan covers the seven fire-affected blocks at the Tai Po complex and runs in batches into early May. Officials said visits are capped at three hours, with morning and afternoon sessions and tighter one- or two-person limits for the most badly damaged units.
• Residents must wear helmets, gloves and masks, and more than 1,000 staff from police, housing, welfare and civil aid teams are being deployed daily. Reuters reporting said about 270 former residents returned on the first day, many carrying out computers, bicycles and other salvaged items.
• The fire tore through seven of the complex's eight 31-storey towers. Months later, lifts remain out of service, leaving many older residents to climb stairs to homes that are charred, unstable or stripped of much of what was inside.
• Hong Kong has already outlined long-term options for affected owners, including cash buyouts and flat-for-flat arrangements under a February housing plan. Officials said the seven burned blocks are too heavily damaged for reasonable and cost-effective repairs.

What to watch

An independent committee's evidential hearings are continuing under a government-announced April schedule. Those proceedings matter because final findings on the fire's cause and accountability are still pending, even as residents begin to confront the damage in person.

The next practical question is whether the first round of visits changes demand for second entries, longer access or different rehousing choices. Authorities have said further arrangements can be considered, but the pace will depend on safety conditions inside the towers and on what residents find over the coming days.

Sources

• The Japan Times
• AP News
• Hong Kong government: Return plans for blaze residents set
• Hong Kong government: Fire probe sessions to be held

Photo by Hongwei FAN on Unsplash