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Heroic Hong Kong firemen recall perilous rescue of teenage siblings trapped in burning building

The three men fought choking smoke and dwindling oxygen supplies to save the youngsters’ lives

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Proud heroes (from left) Chan Chun-yin, Ng Chi-hung and Chow Wai-hong. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Three firefighters who will be awarded top honours on Saturday for their bravery have described how they battled flames, smoke and zero visibility to rescue two trapped siblings.

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The men were tackling the blaze at the Cheong Fat Industrial Building in Cheung Sha Wan when they heard shouts from one of the subdivided flats.

“I didn’t even realise my breathing apparatus was whistling. I just wanted to bring the young man down the stairs and escape. After all, saving lives is my duty,” Chow Wai-hong, 45, said.

Chow was retreating with his colleagues – senior fireman Ng Chi-hung, 49, and fireman Chan Chun-yin, 24, when they heard the cries for help.

The fire at the Cheong Fat Industrial Building. Photo: Felix Wong
The fire at the Cheong Fat Industrial Building. Photo: Felix Wong
The third-alarm fire had started at 11.31pm in an eighth-floor flat of the Cheong Fat Factory Building on July 7. The flat, measuring 15 by 20 metres, was subdivided with wooden planks and was used for storage.
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Two teenagers – Pang Ka-man,14, and Pang Suen-ming, 16, were trapped in a flat opposite.

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