Hong Kong high-rise fire under control, help extended to affected residents

Transcript

00:00As firefighters continue to battle flames on Thursday morning at the Wang Phuk Court

00:12residential estate in Tai Po District, several residents return to the scene of the inferno.

00:18Among them, Chong Wyn Kieu. She was at home when the blaze began the day before, but escaped

00:25unscathed. The main thing on her mind now, how to help her children cope with any trauma.

00:31Her two boys were watching when the blocks went up in flames.

00:37When these things happen, it's a tragedy. I don't even know what to say.

00:41I will try to speak to them openly about it. I hope they can overcome it mentally and start fresh.

00:47Investigations into the cause of the fire are underway,

00:50but attention is also turning towards relief for victims.

00:54Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, announced that the government will provide full support

00:58to victims and their families, as well as affected residents. Meanwhile, many people whose homes

01:04were set ablaze are spending a second night in government shelters.

01:08About 500 people are being put up in temporary shelters. There's one inside this community

01:14center here where there's a big crowd gathering, bringing in donations and supplies. It's one of

01:20nine that's been set up to provide support to victims. Hundreds of doctors and medical professionals

01:26are on hand to give help to those needing it.

01:31Dick Sung of the Pharmaceutical Society of Hong Kong is helping to provide relief here.

01:36Many elderly people lived in Wangfuk Court Estate and weren't able to get the medicines they needed when

01:42they got away. A lot of them weren't able to get the medicines they need daily. So we've mobilized

01:48the Pharmaceutical Society to arrange emergency supplies for them.

01:54The government says it's setting up a $40 million fund to help residents.

01:59One of the big concerns is where to house all the people who've lost their homes.

02:03More than a thousand hotel and hostel rooms have been arranged for people to move into temporarily,

02:09and a thousand apartments will be set up as emergency accommodation from next week.

02:14No shortage of effort is going into relief to take away some of the bitterness of the tragic events

02:20that have taken place.