Part of the exterior wall of a building at Tat Hei House, Po Tat Estate in Kwun Tong is blackened after a fire broke out in a unit on the fifth floor, Hong Kong, April 16, 2021. (PHOTO/CHINANEWS.COM)

HONG KONG - Four female members of a family were killed while two men were injured in a fire at a public housing estate in eastern Kowloon, Hong Kong before dawn on Friday.

Firefighters found one woman dead at the unit in Po Tat Estate Tat Hei House in Kwun Tong where the fire broke out. The three other females were confirmed dead after being brought to hospital, according to the fire service.

ALSO READ: HK's cash-strapped older buildings live with fire hazards

A 2-year-old girl was among the four who were killed in the fire at a unit in Po Tat Estate Tat Hei House in Kwun Tong

The two male victims, including the 60-year-old house owner, were still being treated in a hospital as of Friday afternoon.

The fatalities were his 47-year-old wife, 26-year-old and 27-year-old daughters, and a 2-year-old granddaughter.

Firefighters received the report about the fire at 3:04 am and arrived at the estate seven minutes later. They found the victims’ unit on the fifth floor on fire, Wong Kwok-chun, a senior fire service officer, told reporters at the scene. 

READ MORE: 8-yr-old boy among 7 dead as HK sees deadliest fire in 9 yrs

Firefighters helped evacuate about 30 residents from the building, while 150 people left on their own. The fire was eventually put out at 3:59 am.

After a preliminary investigation at the scene, police said the fire could have been triggered by an overheated lithium-ion battery inside an electric massage armchair in the living room due to circuit problems.

Wong said a task force has been established to investigate the cause of the deadly blaze.