High-rise Building Site In Hong Kong Is Engulfed In A Massive Fire.
An enormous fire that charred a skyscraper that was under construction in the middle of a famous retail and tourism area in Hong Kong was mostly put out by officials on Friday.
On Friday morning, as municipal workers swept the roadways clear of debris, an AFP correspondent on the site saw charred concrete walls and the frayed remnants of bamboo and tarpaulin scaffolding around the structure.
Authorities said that the fire in Tsim Sha Tsui, which was nine hours after it initially started, was “mostly put out” by 8:30 am local time (00:30 GMT) on Friday.
Authorities said that a significant portion of the Nathan Road corridor, one of Hong Kong’s important transportation lifelines, had been closed, creating traffic problems.
According to the fire service, there were no casualties recorded but two persons were treated for minor wounds. According to the police, 170 residents of adjoining apartment buildings were moved to a safe distance as embers fell to the ground.
On Thursday night, flames were initially seen near some scaffolding at the top of the structure. The blaze was immediately apparent from across the harbor, and it also sent sparks flying into the air and down into nearby streets.
A little over an hour later, the blaze had extended the whole length of the structure and was now getting close to the street level, where a large crowd of observers had assembled.
Tosho Sai, a visitor from Japan who was staying in an adjacent building, said a security officer ordered everyone on his level to evacuate when embers struck a window in the apartment next door.
‘Lots of rubble falling’ from the tower, according to a French business traveler who was passing by the location.
An AFP reporter on the site said that there was a strong odor in the air.
About 3:30 am, flames were seen on the top of an office building across the street, raising concerns about the possibility of a larger fire in the neighborhood’s highly populated area.
According to senior fire department official Keung Sai-ming, two flames broke out on the rooftops of adjoining buildings on Friday, but they were immediately put out by embers.
Strong gusts “blew the flames toward five adjoining buildings last night,” he said.
According to the Empire Group, the building’s developer, the structure was described as a 42-story “harbourside classic” in the making that would eventually contain both a new hotel and the venerable Mariners’ Club.
According to local media, the HK$6 billion ($764 million) renovation project was approved in 2019 and was initially planned to be finished in the first half of 2023.
AFP’s request for comment was not immediately answered by Empire Group.
