Tin Shui Wai construction site fire still burning after 21 hours

Smoke continues to pour from the scene of a massive four-alarm fire at a construction site at Hung Shui Kiu on Wednesday morning, while firefighters continued to ensure that the two 50-meter-tall cranes on the site would not collapse.

The fire has been burning for over 21 hours, with the fire fighting expected to last for some more hours, according to fire officials.

The Fire Services Department said they were able to send in firefighters into the basement where the fire is believed to have started this morning. The spokesman described the basement as a “maze”, with large amounts of steel and wooden structures found inside.

The spokesman said according to data from robots and drones, the temperature at the core of the fire scene reached 500 degrees Celsius, with nearby areas also recording a reading of 161 degrees.

As for the two 50-meter and 60-meter cranes on the site, the spokesman said motion detectors have been put in place and there were no signs of the cranes about to be collapse.

Officials of the Buildings Department also said, according to information provided by the crane contractors, the two cranes were not in imminent danger of collapse.

The Fire Services Department said so far 390 firefighters had been deployed to the scene, adding that people living nearby should keep their windows closed.

A preliminary investigation has revealed that the fire was started by a spark from metal cutting equipment. No injuries were reported.
 

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