Flames and embers coming out of the windows of a gigantic building in the heart of Hong Kong. The pictures are impressive. A major fire on Thursday evening ravaged a skyscraper under construction in the tourist heart. If the fire is now “largely extinguished”, the concrete walls are blackened and the remains of scaffolding were visible in the morning, noted an AFP journalist on the spot.
No casualties were reported but two people were lightly injured and treated, according to firefighters. The police, for their part, told AFP that 170 residents had been relocated to safety. Authorities also said a major stretch of the district’s – and Hong Kong’s – main thoroughfare had been closed, causing traffic disruptions.
A $764 million project
The fire broke out at 11:11 p.m., with flames first seen near scaffolding at the top of the building. The blaze was visible from the harbor and sent cinders tumbling down nearby streets. An hour later, the fire spread to the entire building under construction and descended towards the street, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered.
Keung Sai-ming, a fire official, said Friday that embers had started two other fires on the roofs of nearby buildings, but they were quickly extinguished. “Last night the wind was strong and blew the flames towards five nearby buildings,” he added.
The 42-story building under construction was to house a hotel and the historic Mariners’ Club, according to the website of its developer, the Empire Group. The project, estimated at $764 million, was launched in 2019 and was originally scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2023, according to local media.
