8% of owners at fire-hit Hong Kong estate yet to accept buy-back as deadline nears

Eight percent of the owners at the fire-damaged Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong remain unresponsive to the government's buy-back offer, with the deadline for acceptance drawing near. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu reported on Sunday that 91.9% of owners had submitted acceptance letters, while 65.7% had already signed sale and purchase agreements with the authorities.

Speaking at a town hall meeting, Lee stated that the transfer of ownership was proceeding smoothly and orderly. The devastating fire in November destroyed seven of the eight blocks in the Tai Po estate, claiming 168 lives and displacing around 5,000 residents. Homeowners have until August 31 to submit acceptance letters, after which they can either purchase a property on the open market or participate in a special sales program to receive a subsidised flat.

Those who have indicated their intention to sell by June 30 are eligible for priority flat selection. Lee has previously stated that 90.8% of homeowners accepted the offer, implying that only an additional 1% had agreed to sell their flats in the past two weeks. When asked if the government would use legal means to acquire any remaining flats, Lee indicated that a decision would be made at a later stage but assured that any action would comply with Hong Kong law.

He emphasized the importance of encouraging residents to voluntarily accept the buy-back offer to hasten the return to normal life for the affected families. The buy-back plan was launched following the government's announcement in February to spend approximately HK$6.8 billion (US$867 million) to acquire the affected flats, utilizing HK$4 billion from public funds and HK$2.8 billion from a donation-backed support fund.

The government subsequently extended the offer to owners in Wang Chi House, the only block unaffected by the fire, at an estimated cost of HK$1 billion. The independent committee examining the causes of the fire is expected to submit its final report in late October, a month later than initially planned. Lee acknowledged the complexity of the committee's work and expressed confidence in its findings, reiterating the government's commitment to following up on the recommendations.