Fire alarm silent during Tsing Yi fire; elderly woman taken to hospital

A fire broke out around noon on Wednesday (Dec 3) at a high-floor unit in Cheung On Estate’s On Kong House, Tsing Yi. Firefighters quickly responded and extinguished the fire.

An elderly woman in her 80s was reportedly exposed to thick smoke and sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment.

The fire is preliminarily believed to have been caused by burning incense. At this stage, there is no evidence of criminal involvement.

According to sources at the scene, the fire alarm did not sound, leaving some residents unaware of the fire.

The Fire Services Department (FSD) told Sing Tao Headline that it received a report at 12.52pm about a fire on the 31st floor of On Kong House. Firefighters arrived four minutes later and discovered that the building’s fire alarm and fire pump were not working.

FSD inspected the equipment that afternoon, confirming the building held a valid annual certificate. The department said it would investigate the malfunction and added that enforcement action would be taken if any violations of the Fire Services Ordinance were found.

(Updated 9.01pm)