One in critical condition after 800 evacuated in World Trade Centre Hong Kong fire

A 60-year-old woman is fighting for her life, and 12 others are injured at a No.3 alarm fire at the World Trade Centre Hong Kong in Causeway Bay.   

In a briefing at 6.40pm, senior divisional officer Ng Yau-sheung of the fire services department said the fire has been largely put out by 4.30pm. All trapped inside the building have been evacuated.

Firemen managed to rescue 770 people, including 300 people on the rooftop. Forty people evacuated by themselves. 

Ten people felt unwell after inhaling smoke and three suffered from sprains. Aged 25 to 60, the 12 women and one man were sent to three hospitals altogether. Among them, a 60-year-old woman hospitalized at Ruttonjee hospital is in critical condition.

Ten people remained at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in stable condition, while another two have been discharged. 

See more: (Videos) Patrons panic while staff calmly collect cash amid World Trade Centre blaze

The department received a report at 12.37pm that a fire broke out on the first and second floor of the mall, where renovation is being conducted. Fire engulfed a meter room where there were a lot of wires, burning up an area of 100 meters by 30 meters. It then spread to scaffolding surrounding the block. 

Firefighters raised the alarm to No.3 shortly, as a significant number of people were trapped inside. They urged the family and friends of those trapped to remind them to stay in safe areas, instead of rushing downstairs through the smoke.

The World Trade Centre is a Grade A commercial building of Sun Hung Kai Properties. It includes a 14-story shopping arcade and a 25-story office tower.  

Renovation is underway on five floors of the mall – P1 to P5. Fire alarm on those floors were deactivated. Fire equipment from 6th to 38th floors should be functioning as normal, the department said.

A total of 170 firemen and 50 ambulancemen were deployed during the operation.

Earlier, many of those inside the building said they did not hear any fire alarm during the fire. They rushed out as billowed inside the building and onto the streets of Causeway Bay.  

In a video uploaded onto Facebook, diners continued to pick food from the buffet table when smoke filled the restaurant. No alarm could be heard.

A woman evacuated from a podium said she smelled something weird during lunch but did not hear a fire alarm. She tried to leave via a staircase, but could not reach the ground floor due to thick smoke on the fifth floor. 

She was rescued by firemen on an extendable ladder an hour later.

SHKP said World Trade Centre has immediately called the police and fire services once the fire broke out at noon, in order to facilitate evacuations. It will assist in investigations.