HKSAR gov't extends buyback offer to building spared by deadly Tai Po fire

HONG KONG, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Friday that it will extend the same buyback plan, previously offered to households of the fire-hit residential complex, to residents of the only building spared by the Tai Po fire.

A total of 193 households in Wang Chi House, or 77.8 percent of the total, had signed on to the plan, passing the 75-percent threshold required to activate the offer, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.

Wang Chi House homeowners are expected to sign the Agreement for Sale and Purchase on or before Oct. 15. The agreement will stipulate that the government reserves the right to discontinue the acquisition if fewer than 75 percent of owners ultimately sign it.

As for the seven charred buildings, the spokesperson said that acquisition is progressing well, with around 78.4 percent of the households backing the buyback plan.