Modest Hong Kong hero recalls how he and work colleagues rescued 20 after deadly blaze broke out in next-door building
- Man Suet-leung, 34, and his colleagues had just started work at a Yau Ma Tei construction site when they heard screams for help
- He and seven colleagues helped to evacuate people from the first-floor podium of New Lucky House
Welder Man Suet-leung, 34, and his colleagues had just started work at a Yau Ma Tei construction site on Wednesday morning when they heard screams for help coming from the 16-storey New Lucky House next door.
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A blaze broke out before 8am on lower floors of the 60-year-old building – which included 35 guest houses, subdivided flats and commercial premises – killing five people and injuring 43 others.
“I saw people standing there. There was no reason not to rescue them,” Man said on Thursday, recalling how his ad hoc team of eight helped residents to evacuate from the podium, with a photo of him holding an old man circulating widely online.
Man said he made his way into the building to check if people were in need of help amid thick, choking smoke and found the old man standing alone.
“My throat felt uncomfortable when I stepped inside. The lights were out. There was water over the ground,” he said.
He eventually led the man away from the scene of the fire and the pair made it to the ground in a cage connected to a crane on the building site. Others were evacuated using ladders.
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“My family was not happy at me for entering the scene of the fire but I did not care about it so much at that moment,” he said.
“Firefighters were working on the other side of the building … So we tried to help them on our side as much as we could.
“Firefighters are the big heroes. We are just normal residents.”
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Among those rescued by the group were Erlando Alto, 42, and his family, tourists from the United Kingdom who were staying in one of the guest houses.
“When you looked down, it was like a 50-foot drop. There was no way for us to get down. But they came and helped us,” Alto said.
Man said the fact that five people had died and many more were injured in the fire, which lasted less than three hours, was upsetting.
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Downplaying their valiant efforts, Man said: “We thought it would be fine after the fire was put off. Who knew it would turn into such a huge incident.”
Man said it was the first time he had been involved in such a rescue but would not stand aside if he saw similar events happening in the future.
“I will try my best to help. I will not act if it is too dangerous. Or else, it will bring trouble to the firefighters as they need to risk their lives rescuing you,” he said.
