Fire at Hong Kong tenement kills one, injures 10 others, including a firefighter
- Police suspect arson is to blame for the early morning blaze, and an investigation is currently under way
- Authorities say a 53-year-old man who was found unconscious near the door of the flat where the fire broke out was later certified dead
A deadly blaze at a Yau Ma Tei tenement on Saturday morning killed one man and injured more than 10, including a firefighter, prompting an investigation into its cause.
Police believed the cause of fire was suspicious and have listed the case as an arson. An investigation is under way by crime squads in Yau Tsim district.
Shortly after 5am, flames and smoke engulfed a subdivided flat on the first floor of Po Cheung Building in Reclamation Street. The building was built in 1964.
Some residents were seen waving towels from windows while waiting to be rescued.
Firefighters arrived upon receiving several reports and rescued 47 residents, while 17 others evacuated the block on their own. The Fire Services Department said a 53-year-old man was found unconscious near the door of the flat concerned and was later certified dead. A total of seven men and six women, aged 13 to 68, were rushed to hospital after inhaling smoke.
