Hong Kong honours 29 firefighters for bravery in battling major industrial blazes

Six medals for bravery and 23 red lanyards awarded for actions during Ngau Tau Kok and Cheong Fat Building fires

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The third-alarm fire broke out at Cheong Fat Factory Building in July. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 12:29pm, 15 Sep 2016Updated: 6:27pm, 15 Sep 2016

A total of 29 firefighters have been awarded top honours for their efforts in battling two separate major industrial building fires over the summer, one of which took the lives of a pair of their colleagues.

Fireman Wan Kin-wai will be awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery for his “act of gallantry of an extremely high order displayed” during firefighting and rescue operations at the deadly Amoycan Industrial Centre blaze in Ngau Tau Kok.

This comes two months after firefighters Thomas Cheung and Samuel Hui Chi-kit, both killed in the Amoycan fire, were posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery, the city’s highest such honour.

Firefighter Samuel Hui’s hearse passes through Kwun Tong Fire Station, where he had been stationed for years. Photo: Edward Wong

According to the government, Wan “devotedly entered the maze-like mini-storages” of the burning industrial building under dangerous circumstances to suppress the fire and search for casualties.

“In the course of retreat, Mr Wan lost contact with his senior station officer partner,” the government gazette said.