4th February 2023 – (Hong Kong) At 10.09am today, a low-rise unit of Peony House on Foo Kwai Street in Tai Kok Tsui caught fire and there was an explosion at one point, which alerted many residents to report the case. The firefighters arrived at the scene and set up an elevator to help the high-rise apartment residents to escape. The fire was extinguished by the firefighters in 35 minutes. The apartment unit was severely burned, and the outer walls of the multi-storey units upstairs were burned. The cause of the fire remains to be further investigated.
During the incident, 5 residents felt unwell due to smoke inhalation and needed to be taken to hospital by ambulance. About 53 residents were evacuated from the building. Some residents escaped with their children and pets. One of the escaped men’s clothes was also covered with ashes. In addition, 4 of 5 cats belonging to a resident in the affected unit died on the spot while 1 cat disappeared. The resident is looking for the whereabouts of the beloved cat.
