9 killed as fire engulfs Hong Kong residential block

Tyrone Siu / Reuters

Firefighters rescue people from the roof of a building after a fire broke out at hawker stalls on Fa Yuen Street at Mong Kok in Hong Kong on Nov. 30, 2011. Nine people were killed, according to a government radio station.

ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images

Firefighters battle a fire at Fa Yuen Street on Nov. 30, 2011 in Hong Kong.

Tyrone Siu / Reuters

Reporters lie down on the roof of an illegal structure at a building as they film the scene after a fire broke out in Hong Kong on Nov. 30, 2011.

Agence France Presse reports:

A fire believed to be the work of an arsonist engulfed a Hong Kong residential block and popular tourist market early Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring 30, police said.

Ambulances rushed the injured to hospital as firefighters battled to put out the blaze, which started before dawn at a stall in the Ladies Market in the Mongkok area of Kowloon.

The narrow market street was a wall of flame and thick black smoke as the fire tore through the flimsy stalls and residential flats above, witnesses said. Continue reading.

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engnenk

When I read the headline saying "Blaze rips through Hong Kong tourist market" I thought great, now the chinese are selling tourists now too.

#1 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:55 AM EST

OMGNA

I can tell your a real compassionate person, you must be so proud of yourself. Nice to know there are kind people like you in the world.

3 votes

#2 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:08 AM EST

Allison-467021

There are dumb people every where, they (he?) thinks he's funny. I wonder how funny he would think it was if he went to a burn unit to visit a family member? Real funny.

2 votes

#2.1 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:39 AM EST

Sichuan

My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

4 votes

#3 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:53 AM EST

Steven100

Did you get a good look at those roof tops? Death traps. Those buildings must have went up like match sticks.

#4 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:29 AM EST

bill rich-4310347

Those are "illegal suites" on the root top. Lucky ones gets an asbestos roofs, which damages your lung, but are fire retardant. And you get windows too, which is a luxury.

#4.1 - Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:29 AM EST

Fresh_Water

Actually 99% of the buildings in HK and SE Asia are solid concrete, thus don't burn the problems arise when:

There are NO government regulations (or enforcement agencies) so:

1. Trading companies move into residential buildings and us the stairwells for storage, 100% blocking them.

2. After market, an owner will put a caged locked door on the stairwell.

3. As bill referred to "illegal suites". The person who purchases the top legal floor automatically (by custom) is allowed to build something on the roof. No matter what then he puts a locked door to close off access to the roof.

4. HK SE Asia has a varied type of OFFICIAL governments. Communist, Socialist mix, Democratic... but what in fact it all comes down to is Neocon conservative dream (like what the Republicans tried to do to Iraq). Anyone any corporation can do anything they want without Government regulations/enforcement. So you see in these buildings owners/Companies have made UNBELIEVABLE modifications... Removed weight/structure bearing beams to make more room inside their homes/businesses. Overloaded electrical panels 10 fold. Wires strung up the stairwells, walls, outside of buildings. You can see in the above pic a wad of wires next the the guy with black hair and purple shirt.

5. EVERYONE puts on after market bars over their windows. 99% of ground floor owners have a business and they put up a heavy duty metal garage door.

I saw a fire in one of these buildings in Taiwan, Taipei and the fire department was unable to break open the metal garage door. They could not get into the building because all windows were barred up.

You may also notice when a Category 2 Typhoon/hurricane hits us it wipes out all kinds of crap and costs billions of dollars. If you pay attention to SE Asia, they get about 6 Category 5 Super Typhoons per year and this is no damage to buildings, you get some flooding damage.