RESIDENTS ‘EXHAUSTED’ BY BLAZE AFTERMATH
Some tenants of New Lucky House have resumed living in their flats but express concerns over the lack of security once authorities lift the cordon
Residents of an old building hit by a deadly blaze last week have said dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy had been “exhausting”, while expressing concerns about security once authorities lift the cordon.
The blaze at New Lucky House in Yau Ma Tei killed five people and injured 43 others on Wednesday. But some tenants have returned to living in their flats, despite the site remaining cordoned off.
Water and electricity had resumed on most floors on Friday night, while the lifts were still under repair.
A 44 year-old resident surnamed Wong, who lives on the 10th floor, said yesterday that he and his brother had gone back, while his wife and children were still staying at their relative’s place.
Wong, who works in the air-conditioning industry, said he had barely slept after returning because he had to work overnight on Friday.
He also had arranged for someone to fix his lock yesterday morning. Locks in flats were generally broken during the rescue operation. “It is very exhausting. It is physically and mentally taxing,” Wong said.
He said his home was entirely covered with ashes, but he did not have time to do cleaning due to his work schedule.
The blaze broke out shortly before 8am on Wednesday, when many of the building’s 300 tenants were still asleep.
Following the emergency operation, the building has remained cordoned off and residents have had to queue up to register to return to their flats while escorted by police. Some residents said this process could take hours.
Wong said he preferred that his wife and children stayed at their relative’s place for the time being due to security concerns.
He was worried about the security of the building, which he said was already bad before the fire, with strangers coming and going.
Police said yesterday two lift circuit boards worth HK$200,000 were stolen from New Lucky House, adding that it was conducting an investigation.
Abdoh Rhattab, a 51-year-old delivery man living on the 16th floor, had also returned to his flat. He said that it was tiring climbing up the stairs around three times a day. He said he was also worried about security after the cordon was lifted, adding that before the fire, he often saw gangs sitting and smoking on the rooftop.
“We don’t have security,” he said. “They have cameras all over the roof, but there is nobody [monitoring].”
Tam Yuk-ha, a 60-year-old retiree living on the 10th floor, said she had to scrub the floor, doors and the hallway outside the flat as it was covered with ashes and smelled like burned plastic.
She said she had skipped her shower on Thursday when there was still no water, but decided to stay to keep an eye on her valuables.
A source earlier told the Post that the source of the fire could be a discarded cigarette butt, and the fire emerged when piles of plastic rubbish bags burst into flames at the bottom of a lightwell.
Yau Ma Tei district councillor Benny Yeung Tsz-hei said electricity had yet to resume from the first to the third floor and the repair of the lifts was still under way.
The lights in public areas were also off, and the community care team had provided them with some battery-powered light pipes, he said.
He said more than 20 elderly people who lived on the higher floors were unable to walk up the stairs, and free hotel rooms were offered to them.
Homeowners were also concerned that they had to cover the repair expenses if the insurance coverage level was not high enough, he added.
Not-for-profit organisation HK-Asean Foundation said they would donate HK$50,000 to the two families of the Indonesian couple – aged 23 and 24 – who were killed in the fire.
The consulate General of Indonesia confirmed to the Post that two Indonesian nationals were among the victims of the fire, adding that they both worked in the hospitality industry at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.
“The consulate general and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia are working to facilitate the return of the victims’ bodies to Indonesia, as well as the fulfilment of any of their outstanding rights,” its spokesman said.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said over 200 volunteers from all 20 community care teams in the Yau Tsim Mong district had offered help to the residents and tourists from the building. She said the teams had noted information of a pair of French tourists and would send their luggage to France as they were not able to retrieve it under the building’s cordon.