HONG KONG: Nearly 98 per cent of owners of apartments in Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court have returned duly signed acquisition letters ahead of the Aug 31 deadline for them to accept the government’s buyout plan.
The Housing Bureau said that as of noon on Aug 30, 97.7 per cent of the Tai Po housing estate’s flat owners, consisting of 1,939 households, have returned the duly signed “letter of acceptance”, confirming their intention to sell ownership in exchange for cash or join the government’s “flat-for-flat” arrangement.
The two major options were offered under the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government’s long-term settlement plan for those affected by the deadly blaze at the eight-block complex in November 2025.
The bureau said the SAR government has so far signed sale-and-purchase agreements with 1,541 households, or 77.7 per cent of the estate.
A spokesman urged owners who had yet to respond, but intend to sell their ownerships to the government, not to miss out on the last opportunity to return their signed acquisition letters by Aug 31 afternoon.
As the deadline approached, the “engagement team” coordinated by the bureau stepped up efforts to contact owners who have yet to respond to the buyout offer.
Owners have been asked to hand in their signed acceptance letters to their designated “engagement team” member at or before 5pm on Aug 31, or submit it with a return envelope by post, hand or courier.
The inferno on Nov 26 devastated seven of the estate’s eight blocks, killing 168 people. The government said in February that it would spend HK$6.8 billion to buy back all the flats from the owners. - China Daily/ANN
