'My heart breaks every time I'm called a hero' - Hong Kong fire survivor

William Li has struggled with the label "hero" since helping his neighbours 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 neighbours - 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.

"It was the first time I felt death had something to do with me," says Mr Li.

That's why he started saying goodbye to friends one by one via WhatsApp: "I can't escape," he told them. "If something happens to me take care of my children. Look after yourselves."

About two and a half hours after the blaze began, firefighters finally reached them on an aerial ladder. Mrs Chow told HK01, a Hong Kong-based news outlet, that Mr Li insisted the firefighters should get them out first. "We are older and told him he should leave first. He refused and said he was young and could handle this."

When the firefighters came back for him, Mr Li felt reluctant to leave his home, which was filled with fond memories and treasured collections of photography equipment and toys.

"The fire was telling me that I couldn't take anything away, that I had no right or power to stop it from devouring everything."

Mr Li reunited with his family at a nearby fast food restaurant.

But after he'd reached hospital it took until the early hours of the morning for the true extent of the horror he'd endured to make itself felt.

"I no longer had any strength in me and when I got to the emergency room, my knees gave in. A burning smell lingered in my nose," he says. "I really wanted to wash away the smell."

After being admitted to a ward at 03:00, Mr Li finally had the space to cry and start trying to process the ordeal he had gone through.

"When I had been to hospital before, I wanted to go home as soon as possible," he says. "But this time when the nurse asked me [if I wanted to go home], I wasn't willing to leave. I felt like I was avoiding what I would have to face in the future."

He has however decided to face the trauma upfront – by doing as many interviews as he can.

"I hope many people will come forward to help find the truth," he says. "I hope Wang Fuk Court residents will be given answers and justice."

Additional reporting by Phoebe Kong and Grace Tsoi