When his wife Bai Shui Lin called out to Yip Ka-Kui and told him that there was a fire in the house next door – where the couple’s son lived – he immediately ran out. He never would have believed that the fire in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex would spread so quickly.
"The fire was spreading everywhere and I could hear the bamboo cracking. The fire spread to the other building. The safety net caught fire," he told CBS News .
The “other building” was the house he lived in. His wife Bai Shui Lin remained inside while he watched the fire climb from the outside.
"I called my wife immediately," says Yip Ka-Kui, crying.
He told her not to come down – he thought the firefighters would be able to get the fire under control before it was too late. The wife replied that she couldn't get anywhere anyway because the smoke was too thick.
It was their last conversation.
As the death toll continued to rise in the following days, he searched through photos and lists of the deceased and contacted hospitals.
"I couldn't find my wife. I tried everything," he says.
Five days later, the news came. Bai Shui Lin never made it out of the house alive. The two sons survived the disaster, but Yip Ka-Kui struggles with guilt.
If I had asked her to leave a minute earlier, I think she would have survived. But we know her. She wouldn't have left without warning others first.
Over 150 people have been confirmed dead in the fire, which broke out on Wednesday last week.
