PUBLISHED ONJanuary 04, 2026 5:50 AMBYSean LerA fatal fire at Shek Kip Mei in Sham Shui Po district on Sunday (Jan 4) morning left one person dead and at least eight others injured.
The fire reportedly broke out at about 8am in a 21st floor unit at Mei Yue House, Shek Kip Mei Estate.
A spokesperson of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department said the fire was largely brought under control by about 8.54am.
"Fire crews arrived on scene within four minutes of the report. In total, the operation involved 13 fire engines, 13 ambulances and 91 firefighters and ambulance personnel," the spokesperson added.
According to the department, more than 200 people evacuated from the building.
On Threads, posts showed multiple emergency vehicles lined up along a road next to the estate as residents stood at an open area outside the affected building.
Hong Kong media outlet RTHK reported a resident surnamed Chow as saying that he was trapped in his unit, along with his wife and their dogs, until firefighters came to their rescue.
According to RTHK, Chow lives just three units away from the unit which caught fire.
"We tried wrapping ourselves with wet towels and heading out, but we couldn't do so due to the thick smoke," he recounted.
"I told my wife to stay inside the room. We opened all the windows to breathe better, while using wet towels to block the doorways. But it was no use as the smoke was way too strong. My entire flat was pitch black. I thought it was Wang Fuk Court 2.0."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Wang Fuk Court fire in November 2025 had killed at least 160 people and displaced thousands.
[[nid:727588]]
