Elderly Tuen Mun couple found unconscious after charcoal burning
HK01 · 4 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police and emergency crews were called on Sunday afternoon to a flat in King Wing House, Shan King Estate, Tuen Mun, where two elderly residents were found unconscious beside a tray of burned charcoal and taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment. Later reports identified the pair as a 72-year-old man surnamed Cheung and a 70-year-old woman surnamed Tse, who had been together for about 50 years and had lived in the estate since it opened. HK01 reported that a note was found in the flat and police were investigating whether the pair had agreed to end their lives because they could no longer bear the suffering caused by illness
Key Points
- Police received the report at about 2pm to 2.39pm on Sunday, October 18, at a unit in King Wing House, Shan King Estate, Tuen Mun.
- Rescuers found a man and a woman, both about 70 years old, unconscious inside the flat, with a tray of burned charcoal nearby.
- The pair were sent by ambulance to Tuen Mun Hospital for emergency treatment, but HK01 later reported that both eventually died.
- HK01 identified the deceased as 72-year-old Cheung and 70-year-old Tse, described as unmarried partners who had been together for about half a century
- According to HK01, the couple had one daughter in her 30s, and the woman had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Why It Matters
The case draws attention to the pressures faced by elderly couples coping with chronic illness and long-term caregiving at home in Hong Kong. It also underlines the importance of timely family contact and accessible mental health support when vulnerable residents become isolated or stop responding.