Hong Kong fire survivors wait for resettlement two months after deadly blaze killed 168

Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Kanis Leung at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.

More than two months after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades killed 168 people and destroyed seven apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court complex, displaced residents remain in temporary housing while awaiting government resettlement plans, with many fearing they may not live to see permanent homes rebuilt.

Some key facts:

• The fire at Wang Fuk Court on Nov. 26 killed 168 people and left thousands without homes in what became Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.

• Authorities blamed substandard scaffolding netting and foam boards from a building maintenance project for rapidly spreading the flames across seven apartment buildings.

• Over one-third of the approximately 4,600 residents in the complex were aged 65 or above according to 2021 census data.

• Displaced families are living in temporary housing units as small as 100 square feet, with some fearing they will be asked to leave.

• The government estimates rebuilding on the fire site will take about a decade, which many elderly residents say is too long to wait.

• More than 95% of homeowners have responded to a government survey about resettlement preferences, but no timeline for final plans has been announced.

• Failed fire alarms and a mix of issues in the building maintenance project have raised questions about whether the tragedy could have been avoided.

• Experts emphasize that rebuilding the tight-knit community will be harder than reconstructing the physical living spaces.

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