Wang Fuk Court Residents to Retrieve Belongings Starting Next Week

Residents of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po will begin returning to their homes in staggered groups starting April 20, 2026, to retrieve their belongings. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced that 98 percent of households from the seven blocks affected by the fire have agreed to follow the government’s return schedule.

Among the 1,730 households contacted by authorities, the vast majority have opted into the timetable, with only a small number of residents requiring alternative arrangements. Warner Cheuk stated that approximately 380 households have requested a second round of visits to their flats. He assured residents that these additional arrangements would be reviewed and made following the completion of the first round of returns.

Safety and Logistics

To ensure the safety of residents entering the damaged structures, the government will provide specific protective gear on the day of return. Residents will receive helmets, cut-resistant gloves, masks, bottled water, and small red-white-blue bags for transporting their items. Authorities have advised residents to bring only necessary items when heading upstairs into the blocks.

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For those who have not requested additional visits, the government is providing a one social worker per household follow-up service to offer ongoing support.

While the seven fire-ravaged blocks are the primary focus of the current schedule, residents of Wang Chi House—the only block in the estate untouched by the fire—have been scheduled for a separate return window in May 2026.

Petition for Extended Access

The decision to allow multiple return visits follows significant criticism of the government’s initial proposal. The government had previously announced that residents of the seven affected towers would be granted a maximum of three hours to retrieve valuables between mid-April and early May.

Resident Jason Kong launched a petition opposing these limits, arguing that a one-off three-hour window was insufficient for families to recover their possessions. In response to the petition, the government shifted its stance to allow residents to request additional trips through their assigned social workers.

Jason Kong, who resided in Wang Kin House, indicated that he planned to return to his flat three or four times to properly collect his belongings. He had previously questioned why the government did not implement flexible arrangements from the beginning of the process.

Reports of Suspected Theft

As residents prepare to return, concerns regarding the security of the sealed residential complex have surfaced. On April 14, 2026, police launched an investigation after a resident surnamed Lee reported suspected burglary in her flat located in Wang Cheong House.

The resident raised concerns after a government social worker sent her a photograph of her flat on April 13, 2026. The image showed that drawers and boxes containing jewelry and cash appeared to have been ransacked. Specifically, Lee confirmed that a drawer in her sister’s room had been rummaged through, although other areas of the flat did not appear to have been broken into.

Police dispatched officers to the flat on the morning of April 14, 2026. A force spokesman confirmed that officers found cash, jewelry, and other items inside the residence. Lee later stated that most of the cash stored in other locations within the flat had been recovered.

This incident has rekindled fears of burglary among other residents, with further reports of suspected break-ins prompting calls for earlier access to the estate so that residents can accurately count their losses.