Fire at Hong Kong block of flats leaves 1 man dead, 3 critically injured, as 30 flee to safety
- Man, 35, confirmed dead at hospital after suffering severe burns from fire at Tai Po flat
- Critically injured couple and seven-year-old daughter among seven sent to hospital, with two in serious condition and remaining two stable
A fire at a Hong Kong residential building early on Thursday left one man dead and three others critically injured, while 30 residents were forced to flee to safety.
The three in critical condition, who were among seven taken to hospital, were a couple aged 41 and 47 and their seven-year-old daughter, a government spokeswoman said. The pair’s four-year-old son was seriously injured in the incident.
The other three sent to hospital were a 45-year-old woman and two brothers aged 15 and 16. The older sibling was in serious condition, while the other two were stable.
A source familiar with the case said the fire broke out shortly before 3am in the living room of the second-floor flat in a five-storey building, on Tai Po’s Tung Sau Square, where the 35-year-old victim lived with his girlfriend.
The cause of the blaze was believed to have been an electrical short circuit that led an extended socket to emit smoke, he said.
“A diving suit placed near the socket caught fire, emitting dense smoke. The man asked his girlfriend to carry their dogs and get out of the flat,” he added.
His girlfriend was unhurt during the incident.