Fire in Sham Shui Po building hospitalizes five

A fire broke out in a Sham Shui Po building on Thursday morning, leading to the evacuation of 29 residents. It is suspected that the fire was caused by an ember left behind from religious worship.

At around 6 am, police received multiple reports of smoke billowing from a sixth-floor flat in a tong lau on Un Chau Street, Sham Shui Po. Firefighters were promptly dispatched to the scene to tackle the blaze.

The smoke continued to billow from the affected unit as firefighters used a platform to access the fire and evacuate the tenants through other windows. The incident resulted in the evacuation of 21 male and 8 female tenants.

During the operation, paramedic equipment was also deployed to the scene, and police assisted in the evacuation process.

Two women and three men were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and were sent to the hospital in a conscious state for medical attention.

The fire was successfully extinguished by 7.09 am. Following an investigation, firefighters believe the fire was caused by an ember left from worship activities within the unit.

The incident led to the temporary closure of a traffic lane on Un Chau Street towards Mei Foo.