A resident of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po has reported a suspected theft to authorities after photos taken inside her flat showed apparent signs of ransacking. A photo taken by a government social worker on April 13, 2026, and provided by a Wang Cheong House resident surnamed Lee appears to show signs of looting, with boxes used to store cash and jewellery opened and searched. Photo: Supplied. The resident, surnamed Lee, told HKFP on Tuesday that her younger sister received three photos of their upper-floor flat in Wang Cheong House from the government social worker assigned to assist the family on Monday. Lee said her sister’s room appeared to have been searched, and boxes used to store cash and jewellery had also been opened, leading to suspicion that their flat had been looted.
The photos, seen by HKFP, appeared to show several open drawers and boxes.
After she and her family made a police report on Monday, officers went to their flat to investigate the next morning and found “most of the cash” left at their home, she told HKFP.
However, she said she did not rule out that other valuables might be missing.
“Because it is quite chaotic inside the flat right now, we will have to personally assess the loss on the day we return home,” Lee said.
Wang Cheong House was the first building at Wang Fuk Court that caught fire on November 26. The blaze engulfed seven of the eight blocks at the government-subsidised housing complex, killing 168 people and displacing thousands. A photo taken by a government social worker on April 13, 2026, and provided by a Wang Cheong House resident surnamed Lee appears to show signs of looting. Photo: Supplied. Authorities have cordoned off all eight blocks since the tragedy due to extensive damage and potential safety hazards.
Starting next week, residents of the seven fire-hit buildings will be allowed to return to their homes to collect personal belongings under strict government arrangements , including a three-hour limit per visit.
Lee said that her family has been scheduled to return on April 28.
Police told HKFP on Tuesday that officers of the Tai Po district found cash and jewellery inside the flat earlier that day and the family had performed a count of the properties. Three construction workers were arrested last month on suspicion of stealing jewellery worth HK$90,000 from a unit in Wang Tai House, the block that saw the largest number of casualties, while carrying out reinforcement works. The arrests prompted authorities to step up security, including body searches of workers and more frequent inspections of the blocks.