In the wake of the devastating Wang Fuk Court blaze in Tai Po, the Hong Kong government is coordinating an intensive and multi-pronged relief effort, with emergency funds reaching approximately HK$3.3 billion and social services deployed to support thousands of displaced residents. Three specialized task forces—focused on investigation and regulation, emergency support and fundraising, and temporary accommodation—are overseeing the massive response, which includes substantial financial aid for victims, widespread temporary housing placements, and crucial safety inspections across the territory following the incident.
Unprecedented Financial Support for Victims
The government’s Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court, bolstered by HK$300 million in seed funding and nearly HK$3 billion in public donations, has rapidly mobilized to assist affected families. To ensure stability and support reconstruction efforts, the living allowance for each affected household has been doubled from HK$50,000 to HK$100,000, with aid processing actively underway for 1,273 cases. Furthermore, demonstrating solidarity with those who suffered the ultimate loss, the fund is providing HK$200,000 to the family of each deceased victim, alongside a HK$50,000 contribution toward funeral expenses; 90 such cases have already been processed. Separately, 1,931 households have received an immediate emergency subsidy of HK$10,000.
Housing and Social Services Coordination
The scale of displacement necessitated a robust housing response, led by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Housing Bureau. To date, 1,408 residents have been placed in temporary options such as youth hostels, camps, and hotel rooms. A further 2,702 residents have secured shelter in transitional housing or units provided by the Hong Kong Housing Society.
- Accommodation: Temporary shelters, like the facility at Tai Po Community Centre, remain open while residents transition to more stable emergency housing.
- Social Work: The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has engaged with over 1,970 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have registered for personalized “one social worker per household” follow-up and support.
Investigation and Safety Enforcement
While the death toll from the blaze remains at 159, police completed searches across all seven affected buildings. Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) officers utilized pump teams, assisted by the Fire Services Department, to clear water from lift shafts to facilitate searches in several blocks, though no further human remains were located. Authorities are now preparing for DNA oral swab sampling, starting tomorrow, to confirm the identities of missing persons and those identified through preliminary photographic evidence.
The incident has triggered a sharp focus on construction safety across Hong Kong. The Buildings Department (BD) ordered the immediate removal of external scaffolding nets following safety concerns. So far, 224 private buildings have complied, with government contractors stepping in to address removal delays caused by contractual disputes in two private buildings. The BD is set to announce new regulations requiring on-site sampling and certification of scaffold nets to ensure compliance before installation, aiming to allow essential external wall works to resume safely and swiftly.
Supporting the Construction Workforce
The crackdown on scaffold standards poses temporary challenges for construction workers. To mitigate the impact, the Construction Industry Council has reserved 5,000 tuition-free training places covering trades like plumbing, painting, and bamboo scaffolding. Workers who complete these multi-skilled or skill enhancement courses may receive subsidies ranging from HK$14,000 to HK$19,000. Meanwhile, the Labour Department has escalated inspections of fire protection and emergency preparedness at maintenance sites, conducting 332 site checks that resulted in 170 written warnings and 25 prosecutions as of the latest update.
The response to the Wang Fuk Court disaster underscores a comprehensive municipal effort involving billion-dollar aid, significant housing coordination, and immediate regulatory changes designed to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Affected residents needing immediate SWD contact services are urged to call 182 183.