A 78-year-old Hongkonger has died after a fire broke out at a public housing estate in Kwai Chung.

Police said they received a report at 12.41pm on Wednesday that a fire had broken out at Cho Yiu Chuen estate’s Kai Him Lau block.

The blaze was extinguished quickly, but first responders found the elderly resident and confirmed him dead at the scene.

The building was not evacuated and no other injuries were reported, the force said.

Police and the Fire Services Department were investigating the cause of the fire.

According to local media reports, other residents in the area saw smoke emanating from the building, while the elderly man had not been seen for a number of days.