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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Deal reached on Wang Fuk Court flats clears the way for recovery

Resolving resettlement for most Tai Po fire victims now paves the way for the next essential step towards closure: full accountability

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Wang Chi House of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, as seen on August 31. The high take-up rate of the buyout offer is an endorsement of the government’s approach to help survivors rebuild their homes elsewhere. Photo: Sun Yeung
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
With the first anniversary of the Tai Po fire less than three months away, Hong Kong’s recovery from the disaster is making steady progress. Nearly all affected households have accepted the government’s buyout offer, providing residents with a clear path towards rebuilding their lives. Meanwhile, the independent inquiry into the blaze is expected to table its report next month – an important step towards establishing accountability and ensuring that lessons are learned and acted upon.
The near-unanimous acceptance by Wang Fuk Court households of the HK$7.8 billion (US$994.8 million) buyout offer marks another milestone in handling the aftermath of the inferno that claimed 168 lives and displaced thousands of residents last November. Of the estate’s 1,984 owners, 1,967 accepted the offer by the August 31 deadline, leaving only 17 outstanding cases.

The overwhelming 99.1 per cent response is an endorsement of the government’s approach to help survivors rebuild their homes elsewhere. It also reflects a consensus among households that they should strive to move on, even as they await a fuller understanding of how their homes were wiped out in the city’s worst high-rise building blaze and what must be done to prevent a recurrence.

Of course, no monetary offer can restore lives lost, erase the trauma of survivors or recreate the homes and neighbourly ties destroyed by the disaster. The residents have not forgotten what happened, nor should they be expected to. But most have decided that the practical path towards recovery lies in accepting the offer that enables them to start anew elsewhere. The buy-back enables most owners to make new plans – whether it is to buy another home, opt for the special subsidised-housing arrangements, or simply put behind the months of agonising loss and uncertainty.

Their decision is also broadly in line with the wishes of society at large. Hong Kong people expect the authorities to handle a disaster of this magnitude with compassion, urgency and pragmatism. The outcome gives the government a clear basis to proceed with the next stage of recovery.

The 17 owners who did not accept the offer should not be dismissed as stubborn holdouts standing in the way of recovery. Given the different views and circumstances among the affected households, the offer was never expected to be taken up by all. Some owners may have accepted simply because the alternative – remaining in uncertainty while waiting for the legal processes to run their course – was just more unbearable. Others who did not accept the deal may simply be too overwhelmed by their emotions to act. It is unfortunate that they missed the opportunity for an early conclusion to the resettlement issue, making it more challenging for them to move on.
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