Four sisters injured in fire and knife assault over flat sale

Four sisters were seriously injured in a knife assault followed by a fire at Tsz Lok Estate in Tsz Wan Shan yesterday due to a family dispute over the sale of a flat.

At 3.32pm police received reports from residents of Lok Shun House that they saw smoke from a flat on the 35th floor and a woman wandering with a knife.

Firefighters put out the blaze by 4.04pm. The Fire Service Department said it sent 81 firefighters, 12 fire trucks and six ambulances. About 50 residents moved out to safety.

Officers found three sisters named Wong on the 35th floor with serious burns and one had a knife injury.

It is understood the 58-year-old eldest sister slashed another with a knife. She was seen wandering with a knife in the corridor.

Sources said 70 percent of her skin was burnt and she was staying in Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. The other three sisters, aged from 46 to 53, suffered from serious burn injuries on hands and back.

They were all sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Another sister, 51, also had knife injury on her waist and she was sent to the intensive care unit.

Sources said the three younger sisters visited their eldest sister at the Tsz Wan Shan flat yesterday afternoon as the eldest sister wants to sell her flat but her siblings opposed it.

The emotional eldest sister pointed a knife at the others.

A fire broke out in the flat as the sisters argued.

A neighbor surnamed Chan said: "Several women were arguing at that time and one of them stabbed someone with a knife, and someone set a fire.

"One of them knocked on my door and asked for water, and a woman lay on the floor so I closed the door and waited for the firemen."

Tung Wing-kei, station commander at Wong Tai Sin Fire Station, said: "The apartment's kitchen and washroom were completely razed, but it didn't cause harm to other flats."

Tung said flammable liquids were seized but the cause of the fire was still under investigation. Kwok Chun-hei, acting chief inspector of operations in Wong Tai Sin police district, said: "It is believed that the tragedy was the result of a family feud as there is no evidence that other people are involved."

Police arrested the elder sister for assault and the case has been referred to the Social Welfare Department.