Residents return to ravaged homes months after Hong Kong fire

Residents of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court apartment complex have begun returning to their former homes to collect belongings for the first time since a major fire last year. The blaze in November killed 168 people and destroyed seven of the eight residential blocks in the complex, making it the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades.

Returning residents reported that much of the property had been reduced to ash and rubble, with limited items remaining recoverable. Some described the process of revisiting their flats as emotionally difficult while sorting through what was left of their possessions. Authorities have allowed controlled access for residents to retrieve personal items from the damaged buildings as recovery efforts continue at the site.