Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
University students in Hong Kong are among the volunteers helping people who lost their homes to a deadly fire in a Tai Po estate.
The tragedy at Wang Fuk Court is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades. Thousands of people had to stay in shelters. They had to rely on help from volunteers and aid workers.
Alphon Fung, 20, and Todd Hu, 19, were two of the volunteers. They are certified in first aid. They performed basic
health checks and kept an eye on vulnerable residents.
“We’re checking in on nearby elderly residents, especially those who might have lost medication or have chronic conditions,” Fung said. He is studying nursing.
“We help record their blood pressure and pass the information to government departments for follow-up.”
Hu added: “They get cold or their blood pressure drops or spikes. So we check on them, talk to them, and if anything seems wrong, we alert the medical staff.”
Fung added that while official emergency resources were stretched thin, the community could fill the gaps.
“The power of ordinary people is limitless,” Fung said.
