Burning mugwort linked to flat fire that killed elderly Hong Kong man

A 78-year-old man has died in a fire suspected to have started from burning mugwort, a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, in a flat at a public housing estate in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung district.

Police said they received a report at 12.41pm on Wednesday that a fire had broken out at Cho Yiu Chuen estate’s Kai Him Lau block.

Li Kai-chung, assistant divisional officer of the Fire Services Department, said the blaze started in a bedroom of about 60 sq ft in a fifth-floor flat.

Thirteen fire engines, three ambulances and 71 firefighters and paramedics were deployed, he said, adding that the blaze was put out in about 10 minutes.

An unconscious man was pulled from the flat but was pronounced dead at the scene, while about 50 residents made their own way to safety, Li said.

He said an initial assessment found that the cause of the fire was not suspicious.

“According to information provided by the deceased’s family, he had recently experienced mobility issues and had a habit of burning mugwort,” Li said.