A fire broke out in a low-floor unit at Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay early on Wednesday, prompting about 150 residents to evacuate and three people to be taken to hospital for suspected smoke inhalation.
The fire started around 3.15am at Block 22, 80 Wang Kwong Road. Firefighters arrived and used hoses to fight the blaze. A resident on the 10th floor waved a towel from a window for help and was later assisted out by firefighters.
A man and a woman from the affected unit fled barefoot. Both were conscious but felt unwell from suspected smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. The male occupant's face and feet were visibly blackened.
Another couple on the same floor evacuated with their dog, two cats and a chinchilla. Firefighters provided them with breathing apparatus, and the woman was taken to hospital with an oxygen mask.
An elderly man needed help walking downstairs but did not require hospital treatment. A boy surnamed Chiu on the third floor said he woke up to a strong smell of smoke and fled with his parents and two cats.
The fire was largely extinguished, leaving scorch marks on the exterior wall of the unit. Sources said someone reported the fire may have started during charging, and firefighters are investigating the cause.
