HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong Fire Brigade on Friday battled a fire that broke out overnight at a construction site in a popular shopping district, forcing around 130 people in nearby buildings to evacuate.
No casualties were reported after the fire broke out at around 11pm Thursday at the Mariners’ Club rehabilitation project in the densely populated Tsim Sha Tsui district. Several floors of the building – including scaffolding – were on fire, and flaming debris floated in the air.
Empire Group’s redevelopment plan called for building a 42-story architectural landmark to house the historic Mariners’ Club and a new hotel, according to the company’s website.
The area is surrounded by a shopping center, several hotels and some residential and commercial buildings. Earlier in the night, crowds of onlookers gathered on the street to watch the firefighting operation.
As dawn broke, the fire was less severe than hours earlier, although flames could still be seen on several floors. The building’s exterior walls were blackened and parts of the scaffolding looked rickety.
The government said the fire was largely extinguished by 8:30 a.m
People who were staying in three buildings near the scene of the crime had to be evacuated, police said.
Police said six neighboring buildings, including the three where the evacuation was taking place and the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, also caught fire, but those flames were extinguished.
Tsim Sha Tsui is a tourist and shopping district in Kowloon and is famous for its skyscrapers and an iconic view of the city’s Victoria Harbour.