Man dies after fire breaks out in Hong Kong subdivided flat

A Hong Kong subdivided flat tenant has died after a blaze broke out in his building, with firefighters finding a “badly burnt” electrical meter in his home.

Police said on Saturday that they had received reports of a fire breaking out at around 4.15pm in the Mido Apartments building on King’s Road in North Point.

Thick smoke billowed from the building, online photos showed, while firefighters used an extendable ladder to rescue residents.

The Fire Services Department said the victim, who was in his sixties, had died after suffering severe burns.

“The man was not breathing and had no pulse when rescued. Officers tried to resuscitate him at the scene but he was declared dead after being sent to Ruttonjee Hospital,” acting senior ambulance officer Suen Wai-chung said.

The department had deployed 19 fire engines, nine ambulances and 98 officers to the scene, assistant divisional officer Li Leong-kiu said.

While officers were still investigating the source of the fire, Li said the electrical meter in the unit was “badly burnt”.