Arrest over 1997 karaoke bar blaze in Hong Kong ‘justice’ for 17 victims who died, witness says
Chen Zhi-hao recalls seeing the blaze at Top One Karaoke bar that killed 17, including people he knew, and expresses relief one of the remaining fugitives has been caught
A security guard who witnessed the fire at a karaoke bar in Hong Kong that killed 17 people nearly three decades ago called this week’s arrest of a fugitive involved in the case “justice” for the deceased, as he recalled the deep sadness he felt when he learned people he knew had died in the blaze.
Security guard Chen Zhi-hao, now 68, has been stationed at Wardley Centre on Prat Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui since 1992, just opposite where the Top One Karaoke bar once stood.
At around 4am on January 25, 1997, at least two people firebombed the venue, killing 17 people, aged 16 to 42, and leaving another 13 injured.
“Back then, I felt a lot of sadness,” Chen told the Post on Saturday, following the arrest of suspect Chan Wai-leung earlier this week after 27 years on the run.
“I knew some of the ladies who worked there as they would sometimes come in and out of my building … we would say ‘hello’ to each other when they were waiting for the lifts.
“I found out later a few of them had died from the fire … I could hardly sleep for a while.”
