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The Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, was deeply saddened by the heavy casualties that resulted from a serious fire in the hawker stalls in Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok today (November 30).
Mr Lee inspected the scene this morning and expressed his deepest condolences and his sympathy to the victims and their families.
So far nine persons have died and 34 were injured in the fire. Among the injured, six are in critical condition while four others are in serious condition.
The Fire Services Department (FSD) initially believed that there were suspicious circumstances and has set up a team to investigate the cause of the fire and the reason for it causing heavy casualties. The Police will also conduct an independent investigation.
The FSD received the fire report at 4.40am. The first fire appliance arrived at the scene at 4.44am. The fire was upgraded to a No. 3 alarm four minutes later and further upgraded to No. 4 alarm at 6.09am. It was brought under control at 11.11am and was largely put out by 12.28pm. The FSD mobilised 60 fire appliances, 12 breathing apparatus teams and 277 firemen in the operation.
Since the fire that happened at the hawker stalls in Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok last December, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the FSD, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the hawker associations concerned have implemented fire safety improvement measures which include:
* ensuring sufficient space in the carriageway for fire appliances and firemen;
* reserving sufficient space between hawker stalls to facilitate evacuation of residents of buildings in the vicinity;
* reserving proper separation space between hawker stalls which are not joined together so as to prevent the spread of fire;
* ensuring that the stalls are erected with fire-resisting materials; and
* requiring that the electricity supply for lighting should be obtained from legal and independent sources, etc.
The FSD will support the FEHD and other relevant departments to discuss further with the hawkers measures to further improve fire safety.
Ends/Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:00
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