bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Vincent Chow

Hong Kong’s deadly fire in Tai Po has prompted an outpouring of generosity from the public, with donations already surpassing the total raised in the initial aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
By noon on Sunday, the government’s support fund had grown to HK$1.2 billion (US$153 million), with HK$900 million in public donations and HK$300 million in government grants, just days after Wednesday’s fire began.
The total does not include donations to non-governmental organisations such as the Hong Kong Red Cross.
About HK$1 billion was raised in Hong Kong in the first week following the earthquake in mainland China’s Sichuan province in May 2008, both in public donations and government funds.
The magnitude-8 earthquake was one of the worst in China’s history, leaving 87,000 people dead, more than 370,000 injured and 5 million homeless.
It was a catalyst for the charitable sector on the mainland and a high point in Hong Kong’s philanthropic support for disaster relief there.
The city’s total support for the quake-stricken areas eventually reached about HK$20 billion, after the Hong Kong government approved HK$9 billion in reconstruction funding.




While the scale of Tai Po’s devastation is much smaller – the official toll is 146 people dead and 79 injured as of 5pm on Sunday – contributions have quickly passed the initial quake total.
More donations are also likely to follow in the coming weeks and months from major philanthropic groups.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club added HK$70.2 million from Sunday’s closed-door race meeting in Sha Tin to the HK$100 million it has already donated.
“Hong Kong society does everything it can to help whenever a disaster happens, and they usually do it well,” said Lu Ke, a lecturer in the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong.


Lu highlighted not only the financial contributions but also the proliferation of grass-roots information sharing in the immediate aftermath to help coordinate the public’s response.
“What impressed me most was the Hong Kong community’s focus on providing mental health services to victims and their families,” he said, describing the immediate charitable response as “fierce”.
Lu said the next big challenge would be to provide long-term housing for the many displaced residents of Wang Fuk Court – a process complicated by the loss of personal documents and belongings in the fire.
“Many reconstruction projects take months or even years, making long-term monthly donations more effective than one-time donations in supporting reconstruction efforts,” he said.
According to e-payment firm AlipayHK, more than 420,000 people have donated a total of HK$180 million through its platform to the government’s designated support fund and 15 other charity-run funds.


AlipayHK is part of Ant Group, a fintech giant affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
According to Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin, more than 1,500 residents had been relocated to transitional housing, hotels and youth hostels, while about 40 had chosen to stay in temporary shelters in Tai Po.
Authorities have made 1,600 transitional housing units available across the city.
According to Lu, ongoing public oversight is needed to monitor government efforts to repair the damaged buildings and rehome residents.
“The first 48 hours after a disaster typically receive the most attention from the public, but the true suffering of the victims often begins after the initial shock subsides,” he said.


Hongkongers gather on seventh day after Tai Po fire to grieve, pray and demand answers

Hong Kong fire tragedy: bodies of Indonesian helper, woman she cared for found together

Hong Kong home sales dip as December slowdown looms amid tragedy, holiday lull

Families of domestic helpers killed in Hong Kong blaze to get nearly HK$800,000

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong fire relief fund reaches HK$1.2 billion on huge outpouring from public

The first 48 hours after a disaster typically receive the most attention from the public, according to University of Hong Kong lecturer  Lu Ke. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong fire disaster brings victim ID unit’s grim task back into focus

DVIU squad members search for evidence at the scene of the Tai Po fire. Photo: Eugene Lee

Squad members were deployed on Saturday and searched two blocks on the estate. Photo: Eugene Lee

‘She kept crying for me to rescue her’: victims’ families mourn fallen in Hong Kong

A dead body is lifted into a vehicle outside Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Elson Li

Members of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit enter Wang Cheong House at Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Elson Li

People weep after identifying their deceased relatives outside the Kwong Fuk Community Hall at Kwong Fuk Estate. Photo: Sam Tsang

People identify deceased relatives at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall. Photo: Eugene Lee

What are the right lessons from Hong Kong’s worst fire in 7 decades?

Members of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit inspect the scene of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

The Labour Department had previously received complaints about the safety nets and followed up on them. Photo: Eugene Lee

Members of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit search for evidence after the fatal fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

‘Tired and anxious’: displaced Hong Kong fire survivors facing sleepless nights

Residents are forced to look on from the streets as the fire ripped through Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Dickson Lee

Displaced residents sought refuge in temporary shelters overnight. Photo: Dickson Lee

‘What will happen to us’: fire-displaced Hong Kong residents facing uncertainty

Displaced Wang Fuk Court residents move to transitional housing in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

Wang Fuk Court residents To Yim-Ming  (left) and husband Ip Kam-choi move into a transitional housing flat at Lok Sin Village in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

A displaced Wang Fuk Court resident moves into a transitional housing flat at Lok Sin Village in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

News

Hong Kong

Society

Donations surpass amount collected in first week after 2008’s devastating Sichuan earthquake


Donations surpass amount collected in first week after 2008’s devastating Sichuan earthquake.


China

Winnie Ho Wing-yin

Hong Kong Jockey Club