Hong Kong community groups deliver aid to survivors of Wang Fuk Court fire | Hong Kong apartment fires

Hong Kong’s grassroots community groups have mobilized to help coordinate and deliver aid to survivors of the disastrous Wang Fuk Court fire, which killed at least 128 people and hundreds are confirmed to remain missing.

As a result of the tragedy, restaurants, churches and gyms in the Tai Po area, where Wang Fuk Court public housing is located, were turned into temporary shelters for people in need of clothes, food and information.

Some likened the sudden and well-organized mobilization of volunteers to support networks during the 2014 and 2019 pro-democracy protests, where thousands of Hong Kongers helped deliver supplies to the front lines of the demonstrations.

“Since two movements in 2014 and 2019, citizen-led material mobilization has become part of our muscle memory,” said former district councilor Michael Mo, who now lives in the United Kingdom.

crowd sourced web application It compiled reports from people about each building, identifying individual flats in each tower and providing them with current details of residents. People can mark themselves as safe or post information about who is still missing in certain apartments.

another one website It has an interactive map showing where supply stations are located in the Tai Po area. There is also a platform for coordinating volunteer shifts.

There are also many fundraising platforms Fundraisers include the government’s “Wang Fuk Court Support Fund in Tai Po”, which has an initial donation of HKD$300 million (£29,172,600) from the government.

Messages flooded social media platforms and messaging apps with calls for help. Channels for different roles such as Tai Po drivers, Tai Po helpers, and Tai Po fire support have appeared on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app widely used during pro-democracy protests. Users post lists of items needed in various places, such as folding tables, beds, and cleaning supplies. Many of the groups already have thousands of members.

The Hong Kong Red Cross said blood banks had 8 to 10 days’ supply and urged residents to make appointments for future donations.

Elsewhere, a group of Hong Kong lawyers issued a call Volunteers are on social media to support victims with rent and land law questions, employment issues and other legal issues that may arise from the deadly fire. The group said it aims to produce a list of frequently asked questions for frontline NGOs and affected individuals “to help them understand their legal rights, options and possible next steps in a clear and accessible way.” The materials will be available in Chinese, English and possibly other languages ​​used by ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, the group said.

At least two Indonesian domestic workers are confirmed dead in the fire.

Questions are already swirling about how the fire spread so quickly across the seven affected tower blocks at Wang Fuk Court. Residents have complained for more than a year about possible fire hazards in the building due to construction work covering the blocks with bamboo scaffolding and green netting. Officials also pointed out that highly flammable Styrofoam was used in elevator window coverings on each floor.

On Friday, Fire Chief Andy Yeung confirmed what many residents had been claiming for days: no fire alarms went off at any of the towers.

Three men linked to contractor Prestige have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. South China Morning Post reported He said Prestige was convicted of two security offenses before winning the contract for renovation works at Wang Fuk Court in 2023. Prestige did not comment on the disaster.

Another crowdsourced web project is an attempt to preserve minutes of meetings of the Wang Fuk Court homeowners association, where concerns were raised about the bidding process for renovations.

The labor department told residents last year that the risk of fire in the area was relatively low. However, it was stated that the contractor was repeatedly warned in writing about other unsafe working practices at Wang Fuk Court.