HONG KONG: A man died and eight others were injured in a fire that roared through what investigators believe was an unlicensed guest house. Partitions set up throughout the dwelling hampered firefighters, as they battled to locate the source of the fire.

The Fire Services Department (FSD) has set up a three-member investigation team to probe the early morning fire in the Tsim Sha Tsui district.

The blaze was reported at 6:19 am on the first floor of Hai Phong Mansion at 99-101 Nathan Road. By 7:15 am the fire had been upgraded to a third alarm.

Firemen took about three hours to extinguish the flames. Three jets and four breathing-apparatus teams were deployed.

More than 100 people were removed safely from the building. Residents living on upper floors were also affected as two air shafts allowed the fire and smoke to climb upward through the building, said Kowloon South's Divisional Commander Koon Ngok Chung.

"The corridor was in complete darkness. Everyone was rushing to find a way out," a resident recalled.

Firemen found a 50-year-old Chinese man unconscious inside suite Number 12 on the building's first floor. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital but later was certified dead.

Koon believed the victim suffocated in the thick smoke. Preliminary investigations showed the deceased to be the younger brother of the flat's owner. The victim held a two-way permit.

Koon said the flat where the fire broke out comprised many cubicals separated by planks.

"The most difficult part (in fighting the fire) is that the flat was locked and it took us a long time to search the source of the fire," he added.

The fire strained the manpower resources of the fire service. Many residents called for help from different floors of the building. About 30 people took refuge on the building's roof.

Eight people were injured, including a pregnant woman. All were victims of smoke inhalation. A 70-year-old man was reported in serious condition. The others who were injured were stable.

Firemen determined that the smoke-resistant lobby door and fire hose were functioning.

One resident of the building described seeing foreigners and others she identified as mainland tourists entering the building regularly.

Some residents noted that there is a licensed guest house on the second floor of the building.

The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) prosecuted the flat's owner for operating guest house without license in 2005. The bureau had made seven inspections since then but had found no violations.

Yau Tsim Mong District Counselor Henry Chan Man-yu said there are about 200 unlicensed guest houses in the district. Some owners partially license apartments in order to cut down on expenses.

"They use planks or Styrofoam in addition to fire-resistance shield to build up cubicle apartments. They thus expand the guest house to earn more," Chan said.

Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing said the bureau will co-operate with the FSD to probe whether the owner has breached the law.

The Buildings Department stated its intent to prosecute the flat owner for an illegal structure on the outer wall.

(HK Edition 07/07/2009 page1)