Fire in Hong Kong public flat kills 78-year-old single man, injures 3

A 78-year-old Hong Kong man has died and three other people have been injured after a fire broke out in a public flat in Kwai Tsing.

Police said flames were first spotted in the flat at Wo King House of Lai King Estate at around 5am on Monday.

The man, who lived alone in the third-floor flat, was found dead on his bed by firefighters, Wong Cheuk-kei, an assistant divisional officer in the Fire Services Department, said.

Wong added the flat was “slightly cluttered”, but noted that investigations into the cause of the fire were still under way.

The fire, which forced the evacuation of about 60 residents, was put out within 15 minutes. Fourteen fire trucks, six ambulances and 81 officers were deployed to the scene.

Wong said that firefighters would keep dousing third-floor flats with water to prevent the fire from reigniting, as temperatures remained high.