Building fire at Hong Kong’s bustling Kowloon district kills five people

Among deceased include three males and two females

Firefighters walk past a building called New Lucky House where a fire started in Hong Kong, Wednesday, 10 April 2024 (AP)

At least five people were killed and 19 others injured after a fire broke out at a building in Hong Kong’s busy Kowloon district, the city’s hospital authority and fire services said on Wednesday.

Firefighters rushed to the New Lucky House in the Jordan neighbourhood after receiving a call about the fire at 7.53am, said authorities.

People inside the building waved towels at windows to signal for rescue, broadcaster RTHK said, adding that the fire had started at a gym.

The blaze, rated three in the city’s five-grade system, was doused by 8.54am (0054 GMT), an hour after fire services were alerted in Jordan, an area teeming with homes and offices across the harbour from the city’s financial centre.

Police are still receiving calls from people trapped inside the building while at least three men and two women have been killed in the blaze. The injured have been sent to four hospitals in the city.

The government has also opened a temporary shelter at the Henry G Leong Yau Ma Tei Community Centre in the area for those in need.

Eric Chan, the chief secretary for administration, told reporters there would be an investigation into the cause of the fire, as he expressed his condolences over the incident.

Meanwhile, fire has also led to traffic disruption, with authorities cordoning off parts of Jordan Road and Nathan Road, reported Hong Kong Free Press.

Additional reporting by agencies