Voltage dip on Hong Kong Island causes near 1-hour blackout, traps lift users

A power outage occurred in parts of Hong Kong Island in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in multiple cases of people being shut in lifts and triggering automatic fire alarms. 

The power outage lasted for over 40 minutes at around 12.45 am, affecting places including Ap Lei Chau, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan, and Heng Fa Villa.

Hongkong Electric, which provides electricity for Hong Kong Island, said the company’s electricity supply system malfunctioned at 12.49 am today, with the system fully restored at 1.37 am. It added that the company was investigating the cause.

The Fire Services Department said it had received 30 reports of people trapped in lifts and another 37 cases of automatic fire alarms going off between 12.45 am and 1.37 am, with personnel dispatched for rescue operations.

The voltage dip early this morning also resulted in traffic lights in the area malfunctioning, prompting the Transport Department to remind motorists to “drive with utmost care and patience when passing through the road sections in the following districts – Central, Western, Eastern, Southern, and Wan Chai.”

As of 9 am this morning, all traffic lights were working normally again.

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