Buildings at public housing estate Pak Tin Estate, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong.
(PHOTO/WWW.EDP.GOV.HK)
HONG KONG – One person was killed and more than 10 others injured in a fire that hit a public housing estate in the Kowloon district in the early hours of Friday.
The blaze broke out at around 2:30 am in a unit on the 12th floor of Block 13 at Pak Tin Estate in Shek Kip Mei. There was a dispute in the unit before the blaze, according to firefighters. Police later said one man and one woman have been arrested on suspicion of arson.
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A man sustained multiple fractures and lost his consciousness after jumping from the unit. He was rushed to the hospital where he was certified dead.
Local news website RTHK reported that 11 other people were injured in the blaze, while another news website Oriental Daily put the number at 13. Most of them felt unwell after smoke inhalation and were sent to Princess Margaret Hospital and Caritas Medical Centre for treatment respectively.
Around 600 people were once evacuated, said the fire services, who put out the blaze in around 30 minutes.
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