A fatal fire in a subdivided flat, which killed one and injured four, has prompted the housing minister to emphasize the need to eradicate substandard housing. Affected residents lived in extremely small spaces.

A fatal fire at a subdivided flat on Thursday has highlighted the need to eradicate substandard housing in Hong Kong, the housing minister has said, noting that affected residents had an average living space of just five square metres (54 sq ft). Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin was referring to Thursday’s blaze in a subdivided flat that killed one resident and injured four others, saying it underscored the importance of the new Basic Housing Units Ordinance. “In the flat [where the...