Following the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court, Hong Kong officials announced Thursday that contributions to the dedicated relief fund have reached approximately HK$2.8 billion, underscoring a massive commitment to helping residents rebuild their lives. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak confirmed that private donations totaled HK$2.5 billion, augmenting the government’s initial HK$300 million injection. This substantial fund is earmarked for long-term support for affected residents, ensuring ongoing assistance throughout the multifaceted recovery process.
Heightened Financial Aid and Direct Support
In a swift move to alleviate immediate financial hardship, the government significantly increased the living allowance provided to affected households. The aid per household has been doubled, rising from HK$50,000 to HK$100,000. Secretary Mak reported that over 30,000 households have already received initial payments, and the additional HK$50,000 top-up will be disbursed promptly. Households yet to register for aid will receive the full HK$100,000 in a single tranche. Families needing to register or seeking assistance can call the dedicated hotline at 182 183.
The community support framework is bolstered by the “one-household-one-social-worker” scheme, which has successfully enrolled over 1,000 families. This personalized approach assigns a dedicated caseworker to each family, ensuring daily check-ins and streamlined assistance with applications and navigating social services.
Addressing concerns about fraudulent activity, Mak issued a stern warning: official contributions to the support fund are accepted exclusively via a designated bank account number. Any request for donations utilizing QR codes should be disregarded as a scam. Official donation receipts will be issued starting next week.
Housing and On-Site Investigations
As of Wednesday, immediate and transitional housing solutions have been crucial in accommodating displaced individuals. Data from the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau indicates that 526 households, comprising 1,241 people, have been temporarily placed in coordinated youth hostels and hotels. Separately, over 2,000 individuals have transitioned into temporary housing units.
The fire site remains under active investigation. On Wednesday afternoon, Financial Secretary Paul Chan visited the scene briefly, receiving a confidential briefing from police investigators regarding the ongoing inquiry.
Simultaneously, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) concluded its search by the Disaster Victim Identification Unit within the affected structures. No surviving animals were found. Recognizing the distress of pet owners, the SPCA pledged support for DNA testing of any potential pet remains to provide closure.
Arrests Made Amid Alarm System Failures
The official response has intensified following widespread reports from survivors that fire alarms failed to sound during the blaze. Police confirmed the arrest of six men on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud. This group included the principal and staff of a fire service installations contractor. They are allegedly implicated in deceiving the Fire Services Department (FSD) by falsely claiming that the alarm systems would not be disabled during ongoing works.
The FSD revealed to local media outlets that no closure notices for alarm systems across the estate’s eight buildings had been filed in the past year. Post-fire assessments indicated that the fire suppression system was not operating effectively. While there is evidence suggesting the alarm in Hong San Court did activate, the FSD is actively investigating the operational status of alarm systems in the remaining seven blocks at the time the unprecedented disaster struck.