2,100 residents left homeless by Hong Kong fire move to temporary housing, hotels

More than 2,000 people left homeless last week by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have been settled in temporary housing and hotels, while some residents are choosing to stay with friends and relatives after deeming the offered locations too remote.

Undersecretary for Home and Youth Affairs Clarence Leung Wang-ching said on Monday that 2,000 transitional flats and 1,000 short-term rooms in youth hostels and hotels were available for the affected families previously living at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

About 2,100 residents had moved into the free accommodation, while around 40 people were still sheltering at two community centres, he said.

Wang Fuk Court was home to 2,000 households before it was severely damaged by an inferno that lasted for 43 hours last week and raged through seven of the eight tower blocks at the complex.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said that 1,453 residents were staying in transitional housing and 99 were living in homes provided by the Housing Society, adding that an extra 900 flats were being made available to help the affected families.

But other victims of last week’s fire are currently staying with friends and family.