Donations and tributes pour in for Hong Kong firefighter who died in Ngau Tau Kok blaze
Thomas Cheung praised as ‘completely devoted’ and ‘brave and selfless’
Support has been pouring in for the Hong Kong fireman who lost his life battling a blaze that swept through a Ngau Tau Kok industrial building, with his former schoolmates raising donations to help his family get through the difficult time.
Thomas Cheung, a University of Hong Kong graduate and senior station officer, passed away on Tuesday night after being found unconscious inside the building. He was leading another teammate to the site when there was a sudden rise in temperature and smoke. The teammate managed to pull out and report the situation, but lost contact with Cheung.
Cheung is survived by his wife and their four-month-old child.
Praise also poured in for the fallen fireman.
A firefighter who shared a room with Cheung during their training commended his vision with a post on Facebook.
“When his age and experienced grew, he applied to become a teacher at the fire services academy in order to contribute to the department and society,” he wrote of Cheung. “I cannot accept that God has taken him away mercilessly.”
An HKU schoolmate of Cheung’s who spoke on a Commercial Radio programme on Wednesday recalled the fireman’s determination.
“Whenever there was something he wanted to achieve, he became completely devoted to it,” an HKU schoolmate said on a Commercial Radio programme on Wednesday. “He was also a very friendly person and he knew how to take care of people.”
He knew how to take care of people
Cheung stayed at Wei Lun Hall during his studies at HKU. Former schoolmates from the hall were now receiving donations through a bank account of the school hall’s alumni association to help Cheung’s family after his tragic death.
St. Paul’s College, from which the fireman also graduated, said its alumni association was gathering donations for him as well.
“We are proud to have Thomas, brave and selfless, as our alumnus,” the association said on its website. “May he rest in peace.”
The sister of Wong Ka-hei, a fireman who lost his life fighting a blaze in Tsuen Wan in 2007, said she understood the pain well. But she hoped Cheung’s family knew they were supported by friends and relatives.
Also speaking on the radio programme, she said Wong was “still surviving in our hearts” and that she would tell Cheung’s surviving loved ones to “take care” and not worry too much. “The people around you will help,” she said.
The blaze was upgraded to a third-alarm fire at 12.14pm on Tuesday and subsequently to a fourth-alarm fire at 7.46pm. Fires are rated on a scale of one to five according to seriousness.
A view inside the building
Four others firefighters were earlier taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and dehydration. Three have already been discharged while one was now in stable condition.
On Wednesday morning, black smoke was still billowing from the Ngau Tau Kok building, where the 2,400-square-metre SC Storage site is located. Firefighters continued to hose down the block with water to cool it down.
How to help the Cheung family
Donation through the HKU Wei Lun Hall Alumni Association
(Bank of East Asia) account number: 015-514-68-00903-0
Donation through St. Paul’s College Alumni Association
(HSBC) account number: 026-108142-001
