Fire alarm under repair may have failed to alert residents of Hong Kong building to blaze that left 7 injured, 170 evacuated
- Police received reports of blaze at Cheung Fai Mansion at around 6am
- Man, aged between 40 and 60, hospitalised in a critical condition after serious smoke inhalation
A fire detection system under repair might have failed to alert residents of a Hong Kong building to a blaze on Friday morning which left a man in a critical condition and triggered the evacuation of 170 people.
Police said they received reports of a fire at Cheung Fai Mansion on Tong Mi Road in Mong Kok at around 6am.
Senior station officer Sz-to Wang-pan of the Fire Services Department said the alarm system of the residential building, constructed in 1968, was undergoing upgrading works and might have not functioned properly.
“We found the fire alarm system was not activated,” he said. “It may also be due to the heat from the fire affecting the wires in the corridor, failing to alert residents about the fire.”
Sz-to said the fire broke out in the living room of a residential flat, believed to have been rented by a charity for the homeless, and foul play was not suspected.
“We do not rule out the possibility of household appliances in the living room causing the fire, but will need further investigation,” he said.
Thick smoke in the corridors made it difficult for firefighters to locate the source of the blaze and the fact that it erupted early in the morning also posed a challenge when evacuating residents, Sz-to added.
