27th September 2023 – (Hong Kong) In the early hours of today (27th), a fire engulfed a partitioned flat located on the 8th floor of Ying Wong House, at 153 King’s Road, North Point. At approximately 2.45am, a resident reported that a fire had broken out in one of the subdivided units. Firefighters swiftly arrived at the scene, deploying hoses and extinguishing equipment. During the operation, they discovered a 35-year-old male resident clinging to the window ledge, desperately seeking help. Responding promptly, the firefighters erected a ladder and successfully rescued the man. His face and hands were blackened, and he informed reporters at the scene that there was heavy smoke when the incident occurred. He stated, “I couldn’t open the door, so I climbed out of the window to report the fire.” Due to smoke inhalation, the man experienced discomfort, and firefighters provided him with an oxygen mask to assist with his breathing.
Simultaneously, the fire brigade managed to rescue three additional residents from within the partitioned flat. Among them were two women aged 29 and 32, as well as a 22-year-old man. Upon their rescue, these individuals exhibited signs of unconsciousness and had several parts of their bodies charred. Paramedics immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the three victims. All four injured individuals were subsequently transported to Queen Mary Hospital and Eastern District Hospital for medical treatment. One of the injured victims’ female relative arrived at the scene after being notified of the incident. The fire was successfully extinguished by the fire brigade at 3.19am. Fire investigation dogs were summoned to assist in determining the cause of the fire. Firefighters detected the presence of combustible substances within the affected unit, leading to suspicions of arson. The case has been handed over to the law enforcement authorities for further investigation.
According to reports, the partitioned flat involved in the incident was divided into four compartments. The fire originated in one of the rooms near the entrance, which was unoccupied. Consequently, the other three rooms became death traps for the four trapped residents. It is suspected that the two women and one man in these rooms fell unconscious due to smoke inhalation.