Hui Chi-kit, 37, was confirmed dead in United Christian Hospital at 9.40pm.
Hui, a senior fire officer at Kwun Tong fire station, and the two other firemen were on the third floor where the SC Storage facility has been burning since Tuesday morning in the eight- storey Amoycan Industrial Centre on Ngau Tau Kok Road, when they were overcome by the inferno and smoke by a sudden change in the situation at about 7.25pm yesterday.
At first Hui was carried by four colleagues before one pulled him to the stretcher.
He was seen being given cardiopulmonary resuscitation furiously while on the stretcher to a waiting ambulance. He was sent to hospital, where he died.
Another firefighter was conscious while being helped by colleagues.
The third was put on the stretcher and taken to the ambulance. Both were in serious condition at the hospital.
Several firefighters at the scene appeared emotional as they saw a second colleague had been critically injured.
Senior station fire officer Thomas Cheung Yiu-sing, 30, died on Tuesday night. Nine other firefighters injured earlier have already been discharged.
The Hospital Authority said that 23 residents who live in the vicinity have been admitted to various hospitals. One resident has been discharged while the 22 others are in stable condition.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying yesterday morning chaired an interdepartmental meeting and confirmed three actions announced Wednesday, including inspecting mini- storages and similar premises for possible violations. "During inspection of the exteriors of the building, cracks were found at certain isolated parts of the external walls," the government statement said last night.
To ensure public safety, the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department have cordoned off the areas nearby to prevent members of the public from approaching.
The Buildings Department has set up a task force at the scene to monitor the conditions of the building structure around the clock for ensuring public safety.
Meanwhile, the fire spread to the fifth floor after the blaze spread to the fourth floor late on Wednesday.
Director of Buildings Hui Siu-wai said after inspecting the building yesterday afternoon that cracks were discovered on the rendering covering the brick wall behind.
"The brick wall is essentially non- structural in nature, so even if there is some localized peeling off of the rendering, it shouldn't be considered structural collapse," he said.
Two double-decker buses from Citybus were on standby, raising speculation that government might move the 400 residents of the nearby Jade Field Garden and Tak Bo Garden. Deputy chief fire officer Kong Ping-lam said: "If the fire emits poisonous smoke or gas harmful to the body, we may consider evacuation."
Lau Chi-kin, a council member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, said buildings constructed in 1960s could withstand fires of up to two hours only.
"Concrete is the outer layer of protection, and it may flake away after excessive expansion, exposing the steel inside. It would be very dangerous if the steel inside melted and lost its load- bearing capacity," Lau said.
Source: The Standard