Sham Shui Po fire that injured three was failed suicide attempt, police claim
Police believe husband tried to kill himself; his wife and a security guard were also injured
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 02 December, 2014, 1:35pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 03 December, 2014, 2:55am
Clifford Lo [email protected]
The fire department said there were suspicious circumstances over the cause of the blaze at the Fu Cheong Estate. Photo: Felix Wong
A man is in a serious condition in hospital after a fire broke out in his gas-filled flat in Sham Shui Po. The blaze also injured his wife and a security guard.
Police investigators believe the 52-year-old man disconnected a gas tube from a stove in a suicide attempt while alone in the ninth-floor flat at Fu Yee House in Fu Cheong Estate on Sham Mong Road.
The blaze started at about 10am, when his wife, 52, returned home and hit a switch on the stove while attempting to turn off the gas, a firefighter said.
"There was a flash and then the flat caught fire," a police officer said.
The case follows a fatal explosion in Shek Kip Mei last month that left several firemen fighting for their lives. That incident involved an apparent suicide. In yesterday's case, neighbours reported hearing a bang but investigators said there were no signs of an explosion in the flat.
Firefighters in action at Fu Yee House in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Felix Wong
The man was found unconscious in the kitchen and was last night in a serious condition at the nearby Caritas Medical Centre.
The woman received minor burns to her head and fled the burning flat before emergency crews arrived. The security guard, 64, was unable to put the fire out and complained of feeling unwell after inhaling smoke. Both were treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
Fire teams arrived at 10.12am and turned off the gas supply before taking about 15 minutes to douse the blaze. More than 60 firefighters and paramedics were deployed, along with 10 fire engines and four ambulances.
"A gas tube connected to a stove was deliberately removed and there was a spanner beside the stove," said Lee Yiu-lun, senior station officer at Mong Kok fire station.
