Hong Kong, Nov 16 (IANS): At least seven people were killed and several others critically injured after a fire engulfed a tenement building in Hong Kong, the city government said on Monday.
The fire, which occurred at around 8 p.m. on Sunday at a Nepali restaurant in the building on the Canton Road, Jordan, was extinguished about two hours later, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to local media, the casualties were mostly Nepalis and and also included a nine-year-old child.
A Fire Services Department official told a press briefing on Monday that there had been a gathering inside the apartment, while a police spokesman said they were investigating whether the premises was an unlicensed restaurant.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement that she was saddened by the tragedy and demanded all-out efforts to treat the injured and investigate the accident.