The ceiling of the apartment where he and his wife lived for over 40 years and raised their children was burned<\/a> so badly that steel rebar was visible. The floor was littered with broken tiles and parts of the apartment needed reinforcement to prevent collapse.<\/p>\n After the return visit to his charred home on the first floor with his family, the 78-year-old was left disappointed. <\/p>\n \u201cAll things were burned and turned into ashes,\u201d Mak said. <\/p>\n The fire spread rapidly across seven of the eight buildings in the apartment complex in the suburban district of Tai Po, killing 168 people. Starting Monday, the thousands of residents displaced<\/a> by the fire were returning to see what is left of their homes and retrieve their belongings. The process is expected to continue into early May.<\/p>\n Hong Kong Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said over 1,400 people registered for the return are 65 or older, public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong reported. He said over 260 people returned to the complex Monday and police received some requests for help from residents who suspected their assets had been lost.<\/p>\n As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, survivors have been living as best they can, scattered across the city, many in temporary housing as they wait to find out where they can resettle.<\/p>\n Loss of valuables in the ruins <\/p>\n The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n With elevators out of service, some have been training to improve their fitness in preparation for climbing the stairs up the 31-story buildings. <\/p>\n There were many items in Mak\u2019s apartment that the family cherished and longed to retrieve: a fishing rod Mak\u2019s son bought him as a gift, wedding photos from half a century ago, letters from their son. All of them were destroyed. They were able to retrieve some charred photo albums with pages stuck together and faces damaged beyond recognition.<\/p>\n Mak’s wife, Kit Chan, 74, likened their home to ruins. A box that stored her jewelry including two diamond rings was empty and she suspected theft. The family reported their losses to the authorities. <\/p>\n \u201cMy mood is not so good because when I think of valuable, worth remembering items, they are all lost,\u201d she said, pointing to a red cloth with guest signatures from her wedding. <\/p>\n Other residents found items including a painting, wedding rings and a damaged jewelry box. <\/p>\n Former residents have complex feelings <\/p>\n Steven Chung said the staircases were blackened when he climbed several flights and found some valuable belongings he wanted to retrieve. But he had concerns beyond his possessions.<\/p>\n \u201cI worry about another problem because housing prices are increasing rapidly these days,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Cyrus Ng, 39, lived on the 10th floor of the Wang Fuk Court complex with his parents for over a decade before moving out. <\/p>\n In the immediate aftermath of the fire, he couldn\u2019t sleep, feeling angry, sad and worried about his parents. Nearly five months later, he is more emotionally settled but has not fully accepted what happened.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know there are suspicious issues behind this,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope we can really find the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
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