Hongkonger dies after starting fire in his flat in suspected suicide case
Police say they believe man in his ‘40s to 50s’ set a fire inside his flat in Yau Tong
A Hong Kong man has died after starting a fire in his public housing flat in a suspected case of suicide by charcoal-burning.
Twenty-four residents of Ying Lai House at Yau Lai Estate in Yau Tong fled the building because of the fire on Tuesday.
Police said they received a report of the fire at 8.18am.
The man in his “40s to 50s” was rushed to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong after he was found unconscious in his flat, according to a force spokesman. He was declared dead in hospital.
Based on its initial investigations, the force said it believed the man had deliberately burned charcoal inside the flat with the intention of killing himself.
Earlier this month, a 62-year-old man died after smoke filled his flat in Kowloon Bay. Food was being cooked in his kitchen when the smoke was spotted.
