An 18-year-old Chinese overseas student was killed and three other housemates injured in a fire in Toronto early Wednesday.
China's Consulate General in Toronto released a statement Thursday morning to confirm that it has contacted the Chinese families of the victim and injured students. Two of the injured have been discharged from the hospital.
Helen Guo, who died in the fire, and the other three injured were all students on the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto (U of T).
The fire broke out at in single-family house shared by the four students on Haida Court in Scarborough around 2:30 a.m. Firefighters fought the blaze from outside and were unable to enter for some time.
Three of the students escaped and were rushed to the hospital for treatment. One jumped from a second-floor window to escape the flames, which left a gaping hole in the roof.
Guo was found dead on the second floor of the home.
Another U of T student, Loick Masunda, who was at a neighboring house, leapt into action and pulled a student out when the fire started.
"She was burnt, she was in pain, shocked. I tried to calm her down and brought her to the paramedics," Masunda told the media.
Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said it was a "deep tragedy", and investigators are still working to determine what caused the blaze and whether smoke alarms were functioning.
The university said it has reached out to the students with offers of help as well as to community and family members affected.
The Consulate General also launched the consular protection emergency mechanism after the accident, reminding Chinese citizens to be wary about their safety.
The consulate also provided an assistance hotline in Toronto: (416) 529-0068.
