More than four months after a deadly fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district displaced thousands, authorities have now allowed residents to briefly return to their apartments to recover their belongings.
Among them is 59-year-old Fanny Mok, who is preparing to revisit her 13th-floor apartment her home for nearly three decades after a devastating blaze in late November claimed 168 lives and left over 4,000 people displaced.
Due to physical limitations, Mok will rely on robotic exoskeleton legs to help her climb the building. Currently staying in temporary accommodation about 25 minutes away, she has been undergoing training to use the device.
She said she suffers from knee pain, lack of strength, and shortness of breath, making it difficult to climb without assistance.
Authorities have granted former residents access to their flats from April 20 to May 4, with each household allowed only a three-hour window to retrieve essential belongings.
Mok is among several survivors receiving support through an initiative led by the AidVengers Federation, which is providing exoskeleton devices along with training sessions.
The equipment developed by Shanghai-based robotics firm Hypershell, requires users to pass a basic test before use, with around 70 percent successfully qualifying.
The affected housing estate, Wang Fuk Court, built in the 1980s, housed around 4,600 residents many of them elderly. With buildings rising up to 31 floors, accessing apartments remains a major challenge, especially within the limited timeframe.
Another former resident, 61-year-old Betty Ho, who lived on the 15th floor for 35 years, hopes to recover personal belongings, including cash and family photo albums.
She described the emotional difficulty of returning to a place filled with decades of memories, noting that the short time allowed makes it nearly impossible to retrieve everything.
