Two fire fighters and one woman were killed and more than 60 residents were rescued as a fire raged a building in Mong Kok, a downtown area of Kowloon, Hong Kong Sunday morning.
Two fire fighters, aged 25 and 45, were in a coma at the 12th floor of the 15-storey Conrwall Court, Nathan Road, when they were found by other fire service staff.
The two fire fighters were separately sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Kwong Wah Hospital and were later confirmed dead at around 14:04 (0404 GMT) because of inhaling too much smoke, according to doctors.
Another woman was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital and later failed all emergency treatment.
Dozens of residents have been rescued from the fire, among whom 56 were sent to four hospitals for physical examination or treatment, by 14:30 (0530 GMT) Sunday when the fire was gradually brought under control about five hours after the outbreak.
A spokesman of the Fire Service Department said the department had mobilized more than 200 fire fighters and 40 fire engines to the scene trying to extinguish the fire.
He said the heavy smoke engulfed the stairways and the heat made the rescue efforts very difficult.
The fire started from a Karaoke store at the second floor at about 9:20 a.m. (0120 GMT) and soon engulfed the entire building. Heavy smoke billowing out of the building once darkened the skies nearby amid the fire sirens.
A witness said he tried to put out the fire with three extinguishers at the beginning of the fire but failed then he called the fire service department.
"Smoke is everywhere and it was as dark as night," he said.
Fire fighters and the police had to evacuate residents living near the building and several exits of the mass transit railway ( MTR) at Mong Kok were forced to close down due to the fire, which also blocked traffic at Nathan Road and Argyle Street.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)