Authorities are still investigating the cause of a fatal blaze in Jordan, Yau Ma Tei district, which claimed five lives and left 41 injured on Wednesday, as officials provided shelter, supplies and emotional support to the hundreds people affected by the fire.
As of Wednesday evening, two of the dead remain unidentified, and more than 20 people remain hospitalized, with five in critical condition.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, after visiting the injured at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: “I am deeply saddened by the high number of casualties caused by the No 3 alarm fire, which broke out at New Lucky House in Jordan this morning. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured.”
During a media briefing, Lee said he has ordered full-scale support for those affected, and a thorough investigation into the fire’s cause.
The fire broke out at 7:53 am in the 60-year-old, 230-unit building and quickly escalated to a No 3 alarm case at 8:04 am, indicating a significant incident within the official five-tier alert system.
A total of 160 firefighters and 78 paramedics were deployed to combat the blaze, which was contained by around 10 am.
The fire reportedly started on the first and second floors and eventually engulfed an area of 20 square meters. Fifty residents managed to escape the building on their own, and 250 were rescued via scaling ladders and other equipment. Many of those rescued were residents and tourists of subdivided units and licensed hotels in the building.
Three bodies were found in a corridor on the second floor; another on a staircase connecting the seventh and eighth floors; and a fifth body was discovered in a first-floor awning, in what firefighters said was a failed escape attempt.
The building has been sealed off for an investigation that is being conducted by officers from the Fire Services Department and the Police Force, as well as experts.
To accommodate the residents and others in need, the Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre and Nam Cheong District Community Centre have been assigned as temporary shelters.
A newspaper vendor across from New Lucky House said he put on a mask for protection when he saw thick smoke billowing out at around 7 am. He said many residents were still in their pajamas as firefighters escorted them out of the building.
Tam Miu-yi, a nearby resident in her 50s, said her daughter mistook the noise from the fire as a burst car tire at around 8 am. Once she realized the extent of the fire, she immediately went downstairs and looked on with others seeking refuge outdoors.
Traffic in the district was disrupted by the fire and the rescue operation, as roads were closed, bus routes were diverted, and a Jordan MTR station exit was shut down.
Because of the fire, the drone performance of the visiting icebreaker Xue Long 2, scheduled for Wednesday evening, was canceled. The ship’s captain, Xiao Zhimin, expressed grief for the victims and extended condolences to the injured and the families of the victims on behalf of China’s 40th Antarctic expedition team.
In a separate incident, a No 4-fire-alarm blaze broke out at 1:20 pm on Tuesday at a construction site in Tin Shui Wai, the New Territories. The fire has been raging for more than 24 hours. About 200 workers were safely evacuated without injuries.
Reporting the severity of the fire, the Fire Services Department said it was unknown when the fire will be extinguished. It cited extremely high temperatures and the presence of a large amount of flammable materials, including construction materials and bottles containing acetylene and oxygen.
Following an inspection, the Buildings Department said the construction site’s two tower cranes are not in immediate danger of collapse.
Contact the writers at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com
