A fire suspected to be arson erupted in a high-floor apartment unit in Tin Shui Wai early Saturday, critically injuring a 51-year-old man with severe burns and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents from a public housing estate.
Firefighters responded to multiple reports of smoke at 3:43 a.m. at Chak Yun House in Tin Chak Estate. Upon arrival, crews found the unit fully involved in flames, with fire visible from outside and heavy smoke billowing into corridors.
The blaze was extinguished by 4:11 a.m., according to fire services.
Rescuers extracted the 51-year-old man, believed to be the sole occupant of the flat, from the burning unit. He suffered extensive burns across his body, was intermittently unconscious and in visible pain as paramedics treated him in the building’s lift lobby before transporting him to Tuen Mun Hospital in critical condition.
Between 200 and 500 residents self-evacuated to a nearby open area during the incident, many in nightclothes and some carrying pets. Some reports mentioned occasional sounds of explosions.
A preliminary investigation by police and fire services deemed the fire suspicious, classifying it as arson. Authorities are continuing to probe the cause.
The incident comes amid heightened public concern over fire safety in Hong Kong’s densely populated residential buildings, following a series of deadly blazes in recent weeks.
