A 37-year-old handyman was killed and four people were injured in a fire in Tseung Kwan O yesterday.
The fire broke out at the dead man's flat on the fifth floor of Po Lam Estate's Po Yan House shortly before 1.30pm. More than 20 residents had to leave their homes and many ran up to the rooftop before being rescued by firefighters.
A woman who was guided to the ground floor by fire officers said: 'The fire came all of a sudden, and we ran for our lives. There was smoke everywhere. We could not see anything at all.'
Another woman, who was in her flat with her family, said she heard about five minor explosions during the fire.
'At first, we did not know the fire was that serious, so we decided to stay home. But then smoke came into our flat from everywhere, the door and the windows.'
The victim was taken to United Christian Hospital, where he was later declared dead.