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Five months after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, thousands of displaced fire victims are beginning to return to see what remains of their homes and retrieve their belongings. Some older residents have been training to improve their fitness in preparation for climbing the stairs of the 31-story buildings. Some homes were so badly burned that steel rebar in the ceilings became visible. On Monday, some families reported loss of valuables while others managed to bring out some items. Even those with less severely damaged homes faced complex emotions. The process is expected to continue into early May.

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Residents of Wang Fuk Court return to their flats and retrieve belongings five months after a deadly fire in Hong Kong Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

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Government workers assist residents of Wang Fuk Court to retrieve their belongings as they return to their flat five months after a deadly fire in Hong Kong Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

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A resident of Wang Fuk Court retrieves belongings five months after the deadly fire in Hong Kong Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

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Residents of Wang Fuk Court return to their flats and retrieve belongings five months after the deadly fire in Hong Kong Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chan Long Hei)

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FILE - Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Nov. 26 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

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FILE - People offer flowers and pray for the victims near the site of Wednesday's fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

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FILE - People stand amid donated supplies following the fire that started Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Friday, Nov. 28 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

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Resident Cyrus Ng poses for photos at a park near Wang Fuk Court, the apartment complex hit by Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)