Man found dead after fire breaks out in Hong Kong block of flats

A man was found dead at a public housing estate in Sha Tin after a fire broke out at a building on Thursday afternoon, with some 200 residents evacuated.

Firefighters sent four people to hospital, while one elderly woman was rescued from a laundry rack in the building on a floor high above the street. The woman could be seen sitting on the rack after climbing out of her burning fourth-floor flat in Wing Shui House, Lek Yuen Estate, a towel over her face as she called for help with dense smoke pouring out of her window.

She was ultimately rescued by firefighters and brought back inside the flat shortly past 4.30pm, about half an hour after the blaze broke out.

According to the fire department, the incident was upgraded to a third-alarm fire at 4.20pm. Fires in the city are rated on a scale of one to five according to seriousness. Firefighters used two water jets and mobilised two rescue teams equipped with breathing apparatuses. The flames were largely extinguished by 5.22pm.

A police spokesman said about 200 residents were evacuated from the building, and that four people, including the rescued elderly woman, were taken conscious to Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment.

“Fire and smoke were billowing out, and thick smoke gushed out from the vents in the corridor,” a witness told the media. “[The flame] was fierce, all pouring from the flat … No explosion was heard.”