‘It’s finally my turn’: second fireman to die fighting Ngau Tau Kok inferno wanted to bring his ‘brothers’ back to station safely
Two other firefighters rushed to hospital now in stable condition
The senior firefighter who passed away on Thursday had hoped to “conquer” the inferno that engulfed an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok and bring his “brothers back to the station safely”.
At 7pm on Thursday, senior fireman Samuel Hui Chi-kit, 37, and two of his teammates were rushed to hospital.
Hui had been found unconscious by his teammates on the third floor of the burning Amoycan Industrial Centre as they were changing shifts to leave the site. He died at United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong about two hours later.
Hui is survived by his wife and a seven-year-old son.
The tragedy came as the city was still mourning senior station officer Thomas Cheung, 30, who died on Tuesday night battling the fire.
Hui had changed his Facebook profile picture to completely black on Wednesday morning, apparently to mourn Cheung’s death.
Before leaving Kwun Tong Fire Station on Thursday, Hui posted a picture of his fire truck and wrote: “It’s finally my turn to go there! Let me conquer it with my team and see how ferocious you are. Don’t worry, I will bring all my brothers back to the station safely.”
Speaking on RTHK on Friday, Fire Services Department Staffs General Association chairman Jerry Nip Yuen-fung said Hui’s two teammates were in stable condition.
“They suffered no serious or bodily injury, it was just exhaustion, and they want to get back to work as soon as possible,” Nip added.
Referring to questions from internet users on whether the firefighters should continue to battle the inferno, Nip said: “I hope people understand that it is our job to put out fires and rescue ... It was not bravado, we just want to minimise the damage as soon as possible.”
There had been suggestions that some frontline firefighters had questioned the management’s commands and strategy for fighting the fire.
Nip also urged commanders to “fully and cautiously consider the crew’s safety before making further decisions and conduct a full investigation on the fire”.
But he said it would be inappropriate to condemn the management at this point.
“I know there are voices at this time of difficulty ... But we must hold fast to our positions, carry on professionally, and encourage each other,” he said.
Nip said he would discuss with the management the possibility of replacing the department’s current fireproof jacket, known as “the golden outfit”. He said that when the jacket was soaking wet, its heat radiation capacity was not as good as that of the jacket replaced years ago.
