26th December 2024 – (Hong Kong) A fatal incident occured at Yau Kom Tau Village in Tsuen Wan yesterday afternoon, the 25th, as a zinc-clad house caught on fire, reportedly accompanied by sounds of explosions. In the midst of the chaos, a 67-year-old woman named Lai was believed to have been trapped inside the house, succumbing to smoke inhalation and falling unconscious. Despite rescue attempts, the firefighters managed to break in and retrieve Lai, but she was pronounced dead around 11pm yesterday evening.
This morning, investigators from the Tsuen Wan Serious Crime Unit, the Fire Services Special Investigation Team, and personnel from the power company returned to the scene for further examination, although details about the progress of their investigation remain undisclosed. It was revealed that the deceased resided with her family at the location, but during the Christmas holiday period, her relatives had travelled up north, leaving her alone at home. It is suspected that at the time of the fire, the victim might have been showering, inadvertently trapped by the blaze and exposed to thick smoke.
Reporters revisited the scene of the fire this morning and observed police officers and firefighters still conducting investigations. Subsequently, they spoke with the deceased woman’s brother and sister-in-law, learning that the victim had lived at the address with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild for over twenty years, following the passing of her husband years ago. As the holiday season coincided with the tragedy, the woman’s son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild were away on a trip, leaving her alone in Hong Kong. The daughter-in-law mentioned that firefighters discovered the victim near the bathroom door, speculating that she might have been showering when the fire broke out, rendering her unable to hear the alarms. With reports of explosions at the scene, the daughter-in-law suspected that a container of insecticide had ignited. She also shared that upon being notified of the fire at their residence yesterday, they promptly canceled their plans and returned to Hong Kong.
The adjacent zinc-clad houses in the vicinity were impacted by the fire, starting in one house before spreading to the neighbouring residence where the elderly woman lived. Two privately owned cars parked opposite the zinc houses were also damaged by the fire, with the interiors and driver’s seats charred black, and nearby items destroyed by the flames.
