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HONG KONG — A major fire on Thursday, March 2, devastated a skyscraper under construction in Hong Kong’s tourist hub.
The fire broke out at 11:11 p.m. local time, with the flames first seen near scaffolding at the top of the building. The fire was visible from the harbor and threw ash into the surrounding streets. An hour later, the fire spread to the entire building under construction and descended to the street, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered. as you can see in our video at the top of the article.
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Tosho Sai, a Japanese tourist staying at a nearby apartment building, said a security guard told everyone on his floor to leave the building after the embers reached the windows of the adjacent apartment.
Authorities said the fire in Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy waterfront shopping and tourist area, was “largely extinguished” at 8:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. Paris) on Friday after it declared itself.
No casualties reported
Blackened concrete walls and remains of scaffolding were visible in the morning as city workers cleared debris from the street, an AFP reporter at the scene said. According to the fire department, no injuries were reported, but two people were slightly injured and treated.
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For their part, the police told AFP that 170 residents had been taken to safety. Authorities also said a large section of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare has been closed, causing traffic disruption.
Keung Sai-ming, a fire department official, said Friday embers 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 onto five nearby buildings,” he added.
The 42-story building under construction would house a hotel and the historic Mariners’ Club, according to the website of its promoter, Empire Group. The project, valued at $764 million, was launched in 2019 and was originally scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2023, according to local media. Empire Group did not immediately respond to AFP’s request.
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