1 dead, 8 injured in Hong Kong housing estate fire as more than 250 evacuated
Firefighters are investigating cause of fire, including suspected power fault, at Shek Kip Mei Estate in Kowloon
Hong Kong firefighters are investigating the cause behind a fire, including a possible electrical fault, at a public housing flat that left one man dead, injured eight others and forced more than 250 residents to evacuate.
Authorities received multiple reports on Sunday morning of thick smoke billowing from the flat, with 91 firefighters deployed to Mei Yue House in Kowloon’s Shek Kip Mei Estate.
The blaze was largely under control by 8.54am, about 40 minutes after it was first reported.
The Fire Services Department said the flat on the 21st floor of Mei Yue House was packed with clutter, with efforts to extinguish the blaze complicated by dense smoke that had filled corridors.
“The flat was severely burned. Firefighters saw quite a lot of clutter inside,” acting assistant divisional officer Yip Kam-kong of the department said.
“We are still investigating the cause of the fire,” he said, adding that the department would thoroughly examine all possible factors, including investigating a suspected electrical fault.