One arrested over Cheung Pei Shan Road noise barriers fire

Police have arrested a 75-year-old man related to the fire of the roadside noise barriers next to Cheung Pei Shan Road in Tsuen Wan on Wednesday. The incident led to the closure of all lanes bound for Tsuen Kam Interchange for the whole day.

Officers found three gas lighters and a cutter on the man. He was arrested on suspicion of arson and in possession of offensive weapons this aftrnoon, and the motive of his act is under investigation.

Police added they didn’t find any flammable agent at the scene.

It was learned that the man was filmed acting suspiciously at the scene on Wednesday morning before the fire broke out.

The huge fire broke out at around 11 am yesterday, with black smoke seen billowing into the air. There were also reports of explosions.

The affected Cheung Pei Shan Road was reopened at around 4 am on Thursday following overnight repairs that lasted around 16 hours.

Firefighters initially deemed the cause of the fire suspicious, leading the police to launch an investigation. However, the authorities later revealed that preliminary findings indicated certain items at the site were likely to cause the fire, with no criminal activity involved. 

The police temporarily reclassified the incident as arson for follow-up on the same night. They ruled out the possibility of foul play several hours later, before the case was once again categorized as arson this morning.

(Updated at 9.35 pm)