Elderly man rushed to hospital after fire in Cheung Hang Estate

A man aged about 70 collapsed and was rushed to hospital after a fire broke out in Cheung Hang Estate in Tsing Yi early Saturday morning. 

The blaze broke out at the unit on the 29/F of Hang Chun House around 6.14 am today and neighbors were soon alerted and filed a fire report. 

Firefighters dispatched a water jet and a breathing apparatus team and put out the fire after about 22 minutes. 

They found the man surnamed Chung had collapsed in the toilet and suspected that he passed out after inhaling the smoke. Chung was then rushed to Yan Chai Hospital. 

Firefighters found a wheelchair outside the door, believing that it belonged to Chung. The windows and walls were also charred after the fire. 

Firefighters suspect that the blaze was started by a short-circuit of the TV set after a preliminary investigation. 

Some 20 residents evacuated to the ground floor on their own. No other injuries were reported. 

It marked the second fire of an elderly person living alone in two days. Around 5 am on Friday, a 67-year-old woman collapsed after inhaling smoke from a blaze at Tak Hong House, Hau Tak Estate in Tseung Kwan O. 

The woman surnamed Yeung was rushed to hospital but was eventually pronounced dead. 

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