Two tenants hospitalized after Yau Ma Tei apartment catches fire

Two women were hospitalized after inhaling smoke from a fierce fire that broke out in a Yau Ma Tei building on Friday afternoon.

At 1.34 pm today, a fire erupted in a low-rise unit of a tenement building located on Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei. The fire quickly spread to the second floor, engulfing the entire street in smoke.

Due to the heavy smoke, the fire department received multiple calls and promptly dispatched a search and rescue team to the site. They employed water jets and a breathing apparatus team to combat the blaze.

The fire was successfully extinguished by 1.51 pm, leaving the exterior walls of the building severely charred.

During the incident, two female residents were suspected of suffering from smoke inhalation and were subsequently transported to the hospital for medical evaluation. Firefighters are currently investigating the cause of the fire.

The Transport Department has announced that due to the fire, the entire section of Shanghai Street between Nanking Street and Jordan Road is now closed. Motorists are advised to consider alternative routes as there is currently heavy traffic in the area.