A major fire erupted at a skyscraper construction site in Hong Kong’s popular shopping district on Thursday night, sending burning debris down onto the street below.
The blaze broke out at the site of The Mariners’ Club redevelopment project in the densely populated Tsim Sha Tsui district at about 11 p.m.
Multiple floors of the building were engulfed in flames as was the bamboo scaffolding, sending burning debris flying through the air as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Two people, believed to be motorists, were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for treatment, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported. Their conditions are unknown.
As the fire rapidly spread, explosions could be heard. Firefighters deployed two jets to douse the flames, according to the Morning Post.
The site is surrounded by a shopping center, several hotels and some residential and commercial buildings that were threatened by the burning debris.
The Chung King Mansion, the Fast East Mansion and a shopping complex briefly caught fire but the flames were quickly extinguished, the Morning Post reported.
A residential building close to the scene had to be evacuated, police said, but authorities have not said how many people were affected.
The redevelopment project undertaken by the Empire Group was to build a 42-story, 340,000-square-foot architectural landmark to house the historic club and a new, 500-room Kimpton Hotel, its website said.
The club, built for Hongkongers and foreign sailors, originally opened in 1967, and was demolished in 2018, according to the South China Morning Post. It was scheduled to be completed last year.
Tsim Sha Tsui is a tourist and shopping area in Kowloon. It is famous for its skyscrapers and an iconic view of the city’s Victoria Harbour.
With Post wires