7 Dead, 11 Injured in Hong Kong's Deadliest Fire Since 2011

Anti-Government Protests Continue in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG, CHINA - OCTOBER 4: A fire is seen in front of a store vandalized by protesters who believe it to be associated with organized crime groups during a protest against a government ban on face masks in Yau Ma Tei on October 4, 2019 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong's government invoked emergency powers on Friday to introduce an anti-mask law which bans people from wearing masks at public assemblies as the city remains on edge with the anti-government movement entering its fourth month. Pro-democracy protesters marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong as one student protester was shot in the chest in the Tsuen Wan district during with mass demonstrations across Hong Kong. Protesters in Hong Kong continue to call for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to meet their remaining demands since the controversial extradition bill was withdrawn, which includes an independent inquiry into police brutality, the retraction of the word riot to describe the rallies, and genuine universal suffrage, as the territory faces a leadership crisis.

Seven people died and 11 suffered from injuries after an apartment building in Hong Kong caught fire, Sunday night.

According to Hong Kong authorities, the blaze likely started from a gathering of the people belonging to the Nepalese community in the city.

The fire started in Yau Ma Tei, a very busy area which is packed with businesses, shops, and old apartment blocks.

In a statement by Leslie Chan, a member of the area's district council, the apartment where the blaze first started is suspected to be operating an unlicensed restaurant.

According to the local government of Hong Kong, the seven casualties included four men and three women, while those who were injured are between the ages of 8 and 48, The Associated Press reported.

Moreover, Chan stated that the victims came from the Nepalese community.

On Monday, officials from the fire department stated during a news conference that the cause of the blaze remains unknown. However, they noted that the building did not have a sprinkler system and that many of the people were trapped in the back of the kitchen area, based on a statement by Officer Cheung Kwong-yuen of the fire services department.

According to local media, the people who were present in the restaurant were celebrating the Hindu festival of light, Diwali and a birthday party before the fire started. It was also stated that soundproofing materials caught fire from the lit candles inside the restaurant.

Neighborhood locals stated that those who were trapped in the apartment were from Nepal and that many Nepalese nationals live in the area to work in the retail, finance, and security businesses in Hong Kong.

The blaze also caused some of the windows in the low-rise building where the apartment is situated. The exterior walls of the complex were also charred with soot. People were prevented to access the building by police who stood guard on Monday, Yahoo! News reported.

At the moment, Char said that assistance is being provided for those who were evacuated from the building by the district council. She also added that some of the residents are temporarily housed in hostels as officials investigate the fire.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam stated that she was deeply saddened by the events in Yau Ma Tei. She sympathized with the families of those who were injured and those who died in the incident.

Lam also headed to the site of the blaze to visit on Monday morning, ABC News reported.

The Yau Ma Tei fire was dubbed by the local media as the deadliest fire in almost a decade. The last one happened in 2011 when nine people died in the blaze.

While Hong Kong is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world, the incident on Sunday highlights the need for more fire safety protocols to be implemented.

However, it is also noted that the number of the same incidents has already decreased as the government had already placed more improved protocols. Deadly fires used to be a regular happening in one of the most densely populated places in the world.