HONG KONG – With a heavy heart, Keung Mak is preparing to confront the charred remains of his past. Despite knowing the devastation that awaits, he feels compelled to return.

On Monday, Mak will revisit his apartment for the first time since a catastrophic fire in November left it in ruins. The blaze, the deadliest Hong Kong has seen in decades, consumed his home. A photo shared by his social worker had already hinted at the extensive damage.

The apartment, which had been a haven for Mak and his wife for over four decades and where they had raised their children, now stands devastated. The ceiling has been scorched, exposing steel rebar, while the floor is strewn with shattered tiles. Sections of the building require urgent reinforcement to stave off collapse.

“My heart is heavy, and I am deeply disappointed,” expressed Mak, 78, as he contemplated the grim visit to his former residence. “I never imagined the first floor would be burned so severely.”

The fire, which erupted in Tai Po’s suburban district, rapidly engulfed seven of the eight buildings within the complex, claiming 168 lives. Starting this week, thousands of displaced residents are set to return, hoping to salvage whatever belongings remain. This emotional process is slated to extend through early May.

As the community awaits the outcome of an investigation into the fire’s cause, many victims remain scattered throughout the city. They endure life in temporary housing, holding onto hope for a more permanent place to call home once again.

Elders prepare to climb the ruins

The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy.

The return will be particularly difficult for many of the complex’s older residents, who made up over a third of some 4,600 people who lived there before the blaze.

With elevators out of service, some elderly residents have been training to improve their fitness in preparation for climbing the stairs up the 31-story buildings.

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said over 1,400 people registered for the return are 65 years old or older, public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong reported.

Limited access

There were many items in Mak’s apartment that the family cherishes and longs to retrieve: a fishing rod Mak’s son bought him as a gift; wedding photos from half a century ago; letters from their son from years past. They believe almost all of it is destroyed.

“A lot of things with commemorative value are all gone,” said Mak’s wife, Kit Chan, 74. “Not even a single piece of paper will be left.”

Residents will typically be allowed to stay in their apartments for up to three hours, with up to four people entering. In some severely damaged units, only one person can go in.

With only two people allowed in due to the condition of their apartment, Mak and his son will go back. Chan hopes authorities can let her take a look too.

Complex feelings

Cyrus Ng, 39, lived on the 10th floor of the Wang Fuk Court complex with his parents for over a decade before moving out.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, he couldn’t sleep, feeling angry, sad and worried about his elderly parents. Nearly five months later, he is more emotionally settled but has not fully accepted what happened.

“We know there are suspicious issues behind this,” he said. “I hope we can really find the truth.”

A lawyer representing an independent committee conducting an ongoing inquiry into the fire’s cause has said almost all fire safety appliances in the apartment blocks failed on the day of the blaze because of human error.

Ng has mixed feelings about returning next week to their apartment, which was spared the worst damage. He fears the emotional impact on his parents, but looks forward to the chance to retrieve their title deed, old photos, clothes and other valuable items.

He also said he is worried about theft after months of vacancy. Police arrested three men in March on suspicion of stealing from the estate.

Mixed responses to resettlement offers

The government previously said repairing the damaged buildings cost-effectively would be difficult. Officials were inclined to demolish the seven fire-ravaged buildings, and have proposed to buy back the homeownership rights from the fire victims.

They cited results from a residents’ survey, dashing hopes for those who want to rebuild their homes at the site.

Some residents questioned that stance. Data from the fire inquiry showed that only half of some 1,700 apartments in the seven buildings suffered varying degrees of damage.

Ng wondered if some of the buildings could be repaired to allow some residents to move back in, though his parents were already considering the government’s offer of an apartment elsewhere. He plans to take photos of his apartment during his return to document its condition and help prove that some homes are unaffected.

Other residents who lived in the only building in the complex that escaped the fire face the trauma of living with nightmarish memories.

Stephanie Leung, a resident of that block, is reluctant to live in the same apartment again. She said her family would face great mental stress every time they looked out over the seven other buildings where their former schoolmates or friends died.

She hopes the government will include her block in the same plan as the other buildings, while allowing those who want to remain to stay.

“Whenever I go back, I want to cry,” she said.