A significant portion of flat owners at the fire-ravaged Tai Po estate are inclined to sell their properties to the government as part of a long-term rehousing plan, Hong Kong’s leader has said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also pointed out several key challenges in resettling thousands of residents displaced by the inferno at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, which killed at least 168 people.

He said authorities should address the needs of different families and determine whether the legal disputes involved would cause further delays.

The government earlier distributed questionnaires to Wang Fuk Court residents through social workers to gather their preferences for long-term resettlement, including a buyout plan, a flat-for-flat exchange and an in situ redevelopment plan, which could take up to 10 years to complete.

Lee said authorities had collected most of the residents’ preferences and were reviewing them, adding the government would finalise the proposal as soon as possible.

“A significant portion of flat owners have expressed a willingness to consider the government’s acquisition of their ownership rights,” he said. “Some have indicated that they will need to see the actual acquisition price first.”

But Lee also noted the government task force on emergency resettlement for residents, led by Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, had to overcome several challenges, including addressing the varying needs of families.