Yacht catches fire in Kwun Tong, five ships affected

A yacht caught fire and exploded in Kwun Tong early Monday morning, affecting four other ships.

At about 3.30 a.m. today, the police received reports from multiple people that one of the yachts parked about 200 meters offshore from the Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong had caught fire, with explosions being heard at one point.

After the explosion, the fire became more intense and affected another yacht and three sampans nearby.

Fireboats arrived at the scene and opened hoses to extinguish the fire, along with firefighters on alert at the shore. The Marine Department and Marine Police also sent ships to assist.

The fire burned for about two hours and was largely extinguished at about 5.30 am in the morning. 

The fire was strong enough to light up the Kwun Tong Promenade, and thick smoke billowed.

The fire department is investigating the cause and course of the accident.