A fire that broke out in a shared apartment in Jordan has left an elderly man dead and prompted the evacuation of more than 300 people.
Authorities received reports of the fire at the Man Yuen Building at 10.49pm on Thursday, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said at a news conference in the early hours of Friday.
Tso Kwong-chi, an assistant divisional officer at the FSD, said the fire started in a unit on the 13th floor of the building. The unit was divided into nine separate flats and the fire was in a corner flat.
Firefighters found the body of a 69-year-old man inside the apartment when they arrived, Tso saidadding that four other people, two men and two women, were also injured.
They suffered from smoke inhalation and had difficulty breathing and were taken to Kwong Wah Hospital for treatment. They have since been released.
A woman who lived with her deceased husband said local media that he was wheelchair bound. She was not at home at the time of the fire. When she learned of the fire, she returned to the already smoke-filled apartment and saw that the man was already on the floor.
Tso said firefighters arrived at the scene three minutes after receiving the report. The department mobilized 20 fire engines, 10 ambulances, as well as 106 firefighters and paramedics.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, but it does not appear suspicious, according to FSD.
The fire was mostly out by 11:53 p.m., Tso said. He added that after the fire, FSD officers checked the fire safety installations in the building and confirmed that they were working.
The Man Yuen Building, which is undergoing maintenance work, is surrounded by protective netting and scaffolding.
A resident said HK01 that maintenance started in February last year. The netting outside the building was removed the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
The grid was reinstalled in April, the resident said.
