Residents displaced by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have begun returning to their damaged homes, hoping to recover belongings that survived the blaze.
The November inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po killed 168 people and forced thousands from their homes, marking the city’s worst such tragedy in decades and surpassing the Grenfell Tower fire in scale.
The fire tore through seven high-rise residential blocks in the complex and burned for more than 40 hours, reaching the highest alarm level as firefighters battled to contain it.
Under a government-supervised programme, former residents are being allowed back into their flats for up to three hours per visit until 4 May, wearing protective gear including helmets, gloves and face masks.
Authorities say around 6,000 people are expected to take part, assisted by roughly 1,000 personnel, including firefighters. Strict limits have been placed on the number of visitors per flat, depending on the level of damage.
“I want to get back my computer most, as some photographs of my son are stored inside,” said one resident, adding he was unsure whether the time allowed would be enough.
Many are searching for small personal items such as jewellery, photographs and family keepsakes that may have survived the blaze.
A significant number of those affected are elderly, with more than a third aged over 65. Some face difficulties accessing upper floors of damaged buildings, where lifts remain out of service.
Months after the fire, questions remain over how it started and why safety systems failed. An independent inquiry is under way, with early findings pointing to human factors and widespread failures in fire protection measures.
Investigators are also examining possible corruption and safety breaches linked to renovation work, including the use of flammable materials that may have accelerated the spread of the flames.
Authorities have warned against attempts to politicise the disaster as scrutiny intensifies.
In April, officials ruled out redeveloping the site due to the time required and ongoing uncertainties, instead proposing a multi-billion-dollar buyout of affected properties.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government aft...
Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into whether its chief executive, Jensen Huang, was targeted in a foreign intelligence operat...
More than 700 primary healthcare facilities in Afghanistan have closed since 2025 following cuts to international aid, a senior UN official has war...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
Pope Leo XIV has urged Argentina’s leaders to strengthen democracy, fight corruption and put people before economic interests in his first official address in the country.
A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at Russia's second-largest oil refinery overnight, while Moscow reported strikes on Ukrainian power facilities and a Black Sea cargo vessel. The attacks came ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for the 9th of November 2026. From a spy investigation shaking Silicon Valley to rising geopolitical tensions, these are the five stories you need to know today.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment