Hong Kong authorities have distributed about 30 per cent of a HK$4.1 billion (US$528 million) fund set up for residents affected by last month’s deadly fire, along with more than 45,000 donated items.
A spokeswoman for the Home and Youth Bureau said: “The total financial commitment of the various support measures in place so far is around HK$1.2 billion, accounting for about 30 per cent of the support fund.”
She was referring to the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which comprises HK$3.8 billion in donations and HK$300 million in seed money provided by the administration.
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But Tai Po district councillor Lo Hiu-fung, who has been helping fire-affected residents, warned that while the financial subsidies and donated goods had so far addressed their immediate needs, there were concerns about their long-term resettlement.
The fund was set up after a fire swept through seven of the eight residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court last month. The blaze, which raged for about 43 hours, claimed 161 lives, including that of a firefighter, and displaced around 5,000 residents.
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When asked whether the government would issue a one-off cash handout or reserve the outstanding sum for future use, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said that the fund would be used to support residents through different projects across various phases until they found permanent homes.