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Charlotte Parsons

THE Shekkipmei bank arsonist was nearly burnt alive by the blaze he started, an inquest heard yesterday.

Chu Po-kwong's clothing was in flames as he burst through the doors of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, black smoke billowing around him.

'He was trying to escape with his trousers on fire as well as his shoes,' said Constable Tse Kam-hung.

A teenage witness said the burning man sprinted to a nearby flower bed and tore off his flaming shoes, beating them against the ground.

Twelve of the 13 staff at the bank died in the fire. This January Chu, 33, was convicted of 12 counts of murder and one of arson.

Just before 11 am on January 10 last year, Constable Tse, who was off-duty, was standing in front of the instant teller machine when he heard someone was threatening to burn down the bank.

He rushed into the building and confronted Chu, who was in front of the counter talking to bank staff.

'He looked at me, a little bit shocked,' said Constable Tse. After the officer asked one of the bank tellers if she had contacted the police, the arsonist lit his cigarette lighter. He put the flame against a newspaper fuse in a tin of paint thinner and flames filled the bank.

 One witness said the arsonist warned customers he was going to torch the bank.

 Wong Chi-wai, 16, said he was standing in the bank queue when a voice shouted: 'If you don't want to be burned to death, leave quickly!'  He turned and saw Chu armed with two tins of paint thinner. He stormed up to the counter and began screaming someone's name, Chi-wai said.

  He then began pouring the contents of one of the tins on to the floor. Brandishing a cigarette lighter, he continued to call out the name, demanding that his quarry 'come out'.

 Suddenly, the door to the manager's room opened and a man believed to be bank manager Hui Yiu-kwong emerged. He began trying to calm the arsonist, saying 'let's take it slowly'.

 But Chu warned him off. 'He said, 'don't come close or else I'll set fire to you', ' Chi-wai said.

  He then set fire to the manager's leg, forcing him to retreat into his office. The court was not told how Chu set the manager on fire.

 Chi-wai said the arsonist also burnt himself in the process.

 'He was still calling out that person's name,' the young man said.

  Suddenly, another man, believed to be Constable Tse, rushed into the bank.

 'I heard an argument between that man who rushed in and the culprit,' Chi-wai said. When the new arrival moved closer, the arsonist put the lighter to a makeshift newspaper wick and the fire started.

 'The staff were running about,' said Chi-wai. 'They were so scared.'  Constable Tse said he ran out of the bank after the fire broke out so he could capture the culprit.

 Outside Chu approached patrolling Police Constable Fung Ho-chiu. 'He said to me loudly 'Sir, I am the one who set that fire. Arrest me', and he stretched out both his hands.'  The inquest continues before Coroner Ian Carlson.



Bank arsonist 'was on fire'