Two Dead In Wan Chai Fire

Two men died and more than 20 were evacuated after a fire broke out at a building in Wan Chai in the early hours of Thursday.

Firefighters were called to Kam Lok Mansion in Lockhart Road at about 3am and took more than an hour to put the blaze out.

At a press briefing, police superintendent Sin Kwok-ming said one of the dead was an 89-year-old man surnamed Lau who had lived in the flat for over three decades.

His body was charred and there was a two-centimetre wound on his chest apparently caused by a sharp object, Sin said.

The other man suffered serious burns and was declared dead after he was rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital. He also had a one-centimetre wound on his chest.

Sin said officers are working to ascertain the men's relationship to each other.

He added that there was no evidence to suggest they had been in a quarrel, and it looked like no one else was in the flat before the fire broke out.

Sin said two cans of inflammable solvent were found and were being sent to a laboratory for further tests.

“It is indeed very suspicious that inflammable solvents are found at the scene. But we cannot rule out any possibilities yet. Did someone set the fire or was it an accident, we will look into it? We have to wait for forensic investigations and relevant evidence, before we can draw a more assertive conclusion,” he said.

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