Survivors return to their homes 5 months after deadly Hong Kong fire

Key Points:

• Keung Mak, a 78-year-old survivor of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, will return to his severely damaged apartment for the first time since the November blaze that killed 168 people and displaced thousands in Tai Po district.
• The fire destroyed or damaged seven of eight buildings in the complex, with many older residents preparing physically to climb stairs due to elevator outages; over 1,400 elderly residents have registered to return to assess their homes.
• Residents are allowed limited access to their units—typically up to three hours and a maximum of four people—to retrieve belongings, though many fear most treasured items have been lost to the fire.
• An ongoing inquiry revealed widespread failure of fire safety devices due to human error, and the government plans to demolish the damaged buildings and buy back homeownership rights, a move that has sparked mixed reactions among survivors.
• Some residents whose apartments were spared are hesitant to return due to trauma and fear of theft, while others hope for repairs instead of demolition; concerns remain about the mental impact of living near the fire-ravaged buildings.