HONG KONG - A task force was set up to probe the causes of a fire that killed five people and injured 41, ten seriously, in Yau Ma Tei on Wednesday morning, prompting a No. 3 alarm and evacuation of 250 residents.

The fire broke out in New Lucky House at the junction of Jordan Road and Nathan Road at 7:53 am. It was upgraded to a No. 3 alarm at 8:04 am – indicating a major fire in a five-tier alert system used by the government. It was contained around 10 am.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu condoled the loss of lives and expressed his deep sadness in a statement issued on Wednesday morning and instructed relevant departments to do the utmost to help those affected by the incident.

Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin said a task force led by a senior fire services divisional officer will investigate the cause of the fire and the reason behind the multiple casualties.

Thirty-five fire engines, 24 ambulances, 160 firefighters, and 74 paramedics were deployed to contain the fire, and 250 residents were rescued

Meeting the press later in the day, Lam Kin-kwan, division commander of Kowloon South of the Fire Services Department, said the fire broke out outside a fitness center on the ground and first floors of New Lucky House, engulfing an area of 20 square meters. Police and the Fire Services Department received distress calls around 7:50 am and were at the spot within three minutes. Completed in April 1964, New Lucky House is a single-tower building with 230 units.

Thirty-five fire engines, 24 ambulances, 160 firefighters, and 74 paramedics were deployed to contain the fire, and 250 residents were rescued. Fifty residents managed to escape to safety as thick smoke spread to multiple floors.

Lam said three bodies were found in a corridor on the second floor and one at a staircase connecting the seventh and eighth floors. One body was caught in an awning on the first floor in what firefighters described as a failed attempt to escape.  

Among the 41 injured, 38 people aged between 18 and 94, were sent to hospitals for treatment of burn and inhalation injuries. Ten of them are in a serious condition. 

The Kowloon West Regional Crime Unit of Hong Kong Police Force will conduct a criminal investigation and conduct a separate forensic examination of the scene later. 

Firefighters deployed a number of scaling ladders to rescue residents. Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre nearby was thrown open as a temporary shelter for those in need.

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki expressed his shock and sadness over the tragedy and said the cause of the fire would be investigated. He said in addition to temporary shelters, the government arranged to open special counters at hospitals to treat the injured. Chan pledged support for both the injured and the families of the deceased.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung donned a firefighter's uniform to oversee operations. He entered New Lucky House around 1 pm after commanders at the site briefed him.

A newspaper hawker with a booth opposite New Lucky House said he saw thick smoke billowing out when he opened shop around 7 am and promptly donned a mask. Many people were still in their pajamas when firefighters brought them out of the building.

Tam Miu-yi, who is in her 50s, lives barely 200 meters from New Lucky House. Tam said her daughter heard sounds resembling that of firecrackers going off when she left for work before 8 am but assumed a car tire had burst. It was only after 8 am that she realized that New Lucky House was on fire and sought safety outdoors.

A shop assistant surnamed Zhang at a department store across New Lucky House said there were no obvious signs of fire when she started work around 9:30 am.

Residents in the neighborhood were seen leaving buildings to group in front of shops as they sought safety in the open.

Separately, another blaze in Hung Nga Road, Tin Shui Wei is yet to be put out despite firefighters battling it for more than 22 hours now

The fire and the subsequent rescue operation caused widespread traffic disruptions. Several roads were temporarily closed, including lanes from Jordan Road towards Hung Hom, from Nathan Road towards Tsim Sha Tsui, and the entire section between Waterloo Road and Jordan Road. The Transport Department urged drivers to use alternative routes. 

The B1 entrance/exit of Jordan MTR station was temporarily closed, and a number of buses had been diverted from their usual routes. 

Separately, another blaze in Hung Nga Road, Tin Shui Wei is yet to be put out despite firefighters battling it for more than 22 hours now. No casualties have been reported.

The fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon at a construction site and a no. 4 fire alarm in a five-tier government alert mechanism was sounded.

Fire Services Department officials said that it was still too early to say when it could be fully extinguished with in-situ temperature running extremely high. Data obtained from drones indicated over 500°C, officials said, adding that a large amount of flammables at the scene, including construction materials and bottles containing acetylene and oxygen, was adding fuel to the fire.

The construction site’s two tower cranes have no immediate danger of collapsing, the Buildings Department said after inspection.