Sixteen students from a Hong Kong secondary school opposite the scene of the deadly blaze in Tai Po lost their homes to the fire. They received financial support, new textbooks and uniforms, their principal said earlier this month.
Cheng Sze-wang, head of Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School, added that the students in need were offered counselling, while all dictations and assessments had been suspended to avoid putting extra pressure on them.
The school is a 10-minute walk from Wang Fuk Court, the scene of the fire last month that claimed at least 160 lives.
“Most of [the affected students] are now living in their friends’ and relatives’ homes, and prefer living in the district as they find transitional housing [in other places] too far away for them,” Cheng said. “Some parents have already rented private housing for a temporary stay.”
He added that vendors had moved quickly to replace students’ textbooks and uniforms lost in the fire, while families had received financial support from authorities and NGOs.
School staff and alumni also raised funds for the affected students.
