Inside the cluttered, silent flat at Wang Fuk Court, time seems to have stood still. On the bathroom door, a calendar remains on the page for November 2025 – the month a deadly fire broke out at the Tai Po estate in Hong Kong.
On what was believed to be their final visit to the undamaged flat, resident Joe* and his wife Annie* took photos of each room. Every room reeked of a mixture of sweat and mould, while ants crawled across dusty kitchen walls.
A foul stench wafted out the moment the freezer was cracked open. Outside the window, vacant charred towers stood eerily under the sun, surrounded by debris.
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Before making his final trip down the stairs with the last of his belongings, Joe pressed the lift button a few times, even though he knew it no longer worked.
“There will never be another chance to press this button again,” he said, his T-shirt soaked with sweat, casting one last glance at his home of more than 40 years.
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“Farewell, Wang Fuk Court.”