The government will accord 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died battling the Wang Fuk Court blaze, a full funeral with highest honors next Friday at the World Universal Parlour in Hung Hom, followed by burial at Gallant Garden.
Ho, a nine-year veteran stationed at Sha Tin Fire Station and nicknamed “Big Ho” for his outstanding fitness, was a former Airport Security Unit officer before joining the Fire Services Department.
On November 26 (Wed), he was operating at ground level when he lost contact around 3.30pm.
Colleagues found him unconscious half an hour later outside Wang Cheong House with facial burns.
Despite immediate CPR and transfer to Prince of Wales Hospital, he was pronounced dead at 4.45pm.
On the traditional seventh-day memorial, dozens of family members, friends and uniformed colleagues gathered outside the fire site for a roadside rite.
Around forty monks chanted sutras while mourners, holding white flowers, bowed in silence.
Many firefighters wept openly as incense was burned and flowers were laid in tribute.
