Fire in Hong Kong residential neighborhood turns deadly

HONG KONG (AP) — City authorities said a fire in a crowded residential district in Hong Kong has “caused a number of deaths and injuries,” with local media putting the number of dead at seven.

The blaze occurred Sunday night in Yau Ma Tei, a usually bustling area in Kowloon, packed with old apartment blocks, shops, and businesses, according to a police report.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam issued a statement shortly after midnight saying that she was “deeply saddened that the fire in Yau Ma Tei last night caused a number of deaths and injuries.”

The South China Morning Post newspaper reported that four men and three women aged 9 to 40 were killed in the blaze. It said 11 other people were injured, including seven hospitalized in critical condition.

Video from local broadcaster TVB showed people on stretchers and in ambulances.