William Li has struggled with the label hero since helping his neighbors escape the fire which engulfed the Hong Kong block of flats he had called home since birth.
Instead, he is haunted by guilt that he could have saved more people from the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which left at least 159 people dead.
My heart breaks every time someone calls me a hero, says the 40-year-old, breaking down in tears.
A week on from the disaster, firefighters are still combing the complex of seven burnt-out high rises for the remains of 30 of Mr. Li's neighbors - people who, like him, had the misfortune to be at home when the deadly fire began.
What caused the fire to start, and why more people did not escape, is now the subject of an independent committee's investigation, ordered by Hong Kong's chief executive.
Already, it has been revealed that non-fire resistant netting had been fitted around the building, and the fire alarms were not working properly.
The fact alarms did not go off was why Mr. Li was not more worried when his wife called to tell him a fire had started in their building, Wang Cheong House.
Instead of rushing, he spent almost 10 minutes packing belongings. But the moment he opened the door, the extent of the disaster was all too clear: he was engulfed in billowing smoke and had to retreat inside his flat.
On the other end of the phone, his wife became hysterical, but Mr. Li didn't have time to panic.
He had to put wet towels under the door to stop the smoke from getting in, and tried to work out what to do next.
It was then he heard voices in the corridor, where the air was now so dense with smoke he was unable to see who was calling out. Covering his face with a wet towel, he found two of his neighbors by touch, dragging the couple inside to the relative safety of his flat.
He still feels deep regret for not hearing another voice calling for help. I feel very guilty, he said. Some people weren't saved, and I didn't open my door again and try to find them. The trauma weighs heavily on him.
The devastating fire serves as a reminder of fragility and the swift passage of life. It is a tragic event that leaves behind unanswered questions and unfulfilled duties.
Mr. Li's path to recovery is fraught with emotional struggles, but he hopes that sharing his story will shed light on the truth of what happened that day. I hope Wang Fuk Court residents will be given answers and justice, he says, reflecting the resilience and the need for accountability in the aftermath of grief.
