Months after a catastrophic fire devastated seven apartment towers in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court last year, residents have been allowed to return to the complex this spring to recover belongings and memories from the ruins. The fire, which claimed 168 lives, is believed to have been exacerbated by substandard construction materials used by contractors. The disaster left many families grappling with profound loss, as survivors sifted through the ashes for remnants of their former lives.

Among those affected is Shirley Ng, 54, who lost her daughter, Piano Chiang, 23, and husband, Peter Chiang, 62. Ms. Ng recounted finding fragments of her daughter’s iPad and her husband’s eyeglasses amid the debris. Piano had recently graduated from university, the same institution her father attended, while Peter was active in the community, performing with a Chinese orchestra and playing the erhu. The couple’s home, including a piano they owned for their daughter, was entirely destroyed.

Polly Luk, in her 40s, lost her mother, Tsang Lai Wah, 71, who worked as a home health aide caring for the elderly. Ms. Luk shared a personal keepsake: a ceramic pomelo her mother had chosen during a trip to Foshan, symbolizing peace and good luck. Her mother’s body was discovered in a hallway, and their apartment was left in ruins.

Lee Chun Ho, 40, mourns several family members including his father, Simon Lee, 70, and sister-in-law, Esther Chan, 38. He described his mother as sharp and intuitive and recalled his brother’s hobby of building figurines, one of which he was able to save. Esther Chan spoke of finding bowls still filled with food and her daughter’s shoes amidst the wreckage, reflecting on the family’s final moments. The Lee family lost Yip Pik Yi, 65; Lee Chun Man, 44; Yan Yan, 15 months; and Erawati, 34, the household’s Indonesian domestic worker.

Lee Kwok Hung, 70, also lost his mother, Tam Wei Ping, 91, along with two Indonesian caregivers, Dina-Martiana, 38, and Darwati, 48. He recounted his mother’s role in caring for aging family members and cherished an old photograph taken during their first trip abroad to the Philippines. The bodies of the caregivers were repatriated to Indonesia after funerals in Hong Kong.

Phyllis Lo, 49, recalled her mother Ying Lo, 74, a hardworking single parent who supported her family through multiple jobs. Among the salvaged items was a denim vest her mother had sewn from repurposed jeans, a testament to her frugality and craftsmanship.

Holly Cheung, 38, lost two toy poodles, Bom Bom and Ungi. She reflected on the significance of her Wang Fuk Court home as a connection to her late mother, recounting a chance interaction in the building’s elevator with a neighbor who had grown fond of her dogs.

Finally, Yip Ka Kui, 68, mourned his wife, Pak Shui Lin, 66. Among the few items he recovered were his wedding ring and his late wife’s Seiko watch—symbols of their shared life spanning more than four decades, marked by ordinary routines and quiet companionship.

As residents return to their former homes, the salvaged objects serve as poignant reminders of lives disrupted and loved ones lost in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires.