Police are investigating whether man drugged wife, three daughters before starting charcoal fire, insider says.<\/b>
\nHong Kong police are searching for a 43-year-old man who allegedly attempted to kill his wife and three daughters by burning charcoal at a public housing flat in the New Territories.
A source familiar with the case said detectives were investigating whether the man drugged his wife, 44, and three daughters, aged from 13 to 16, before starting a charcoal fire at the Sham King Estate flat on Ming Kum Road in Tuen Mun early on Wednesday.
\u201cAn investigation showed all four victims had dinner that was prepared by the man [at about 9pm on Tuesday] and felt drowsy afterward, leading them to go to bed early,\u201d the insider said.
At around 5.45am on Wednesday, the wife woke up to choking smoke and discovered charcoal in water in the kitchen sink, according to another source. He said her husband was not home.
Emergency personnel arrived at the flat after police received a report from the woman.
The source said the woman and her three daughters felt dizzy and were rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment.
He said the flat windows were closed and the wooden door was sealed with adhesive tape, but no suicide note was found at the scene.
\u201cPreliminary investigations showed the man had a failed business and financial difficulties,\u201d the source said.
He said there were no reports of domestic violence or disputes involving the family, who had lived in the flat for more than 10 years.
As of 2pm, a police spokesman said the case had been classified as an attempted murder and officers were still searching for the man.
Detectives from the Tuen Mun district crime squad are handling the case.
Police handled 265 reports of domestic violence crimes in the first five months of this year, down eight per cent from 288 cases logged in the same period last year.<\/p>\n