An elderly couple suffered injuries fighting a fire which broke out in their home that was started by a lantern they hung up for the Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday.
A 79-year-old man was in a critical condition after inhaling smoke, while his 80-year-old wife suffered burn to her arms and legs, the Oriental Daily reported.
The couple, who lived in Hiu Kwong Street in Kowloon’s Sau Mau Ping, had hung two paper lanterns with candles in them inside their home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday.
At about 1am on Tuesday, the two paper lanterns caught fire and the couple tried to extinguish the blaze with a blanket before calling police for assistance. When firemen and paramedics arrived, the couple had put out the fire, but both suffered serious injuries.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar with the full moon at night. People celebrate by gathering family members for dinner, followed by moon-appreciation with mooncakes and tea, as well as lighting up lanterns and candles.