Hong Kong authorities vow to help residents displaced by fire get through winter

Hong Kong’s “top priority” is to resettle residents displaced by the Tai Po fire so they can get through the winter, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said, as the city’s major monetary and banking authorities roll out measures to ease their immediate financial burdens.

On Sunday, Chan highlighted the banking industry’s emergency support measures that came into effect over the weekend, including repayment grace periods for affected residents and extended operating hours at bank branches in Tai Po.

“We will do our utmost to handle the aftermath and resettle the residents affected by the fire. The top priority is to ensure that these residents comfortably get through the winter.” Chan wrote on his weekly blog.

“After that, we will provide them with continuous and comprehensive support during the transition period and beyond.”

Chan, who cut short a trade trip in Milan, Italy earlier last week to coordinate the finance industry’s response to the Tai Po fire, visited two transitional housing sites in Tai Po last week to meet displaced residents.

The fire that broke out Wednesday in Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, has so far claimed 146 lives including a firefighter and left 79 injured, among them 12 firefighters.