Boat ablaze near Kennedy Town Praya, extinguished before firefighters arrive

Early Thursday morning, a boat caught fire near Kennedy Town Praya but was extinguished while continuing its journey.

At approximately 2 am, authorities were alerted by several individuals to a blaze onboard a boat about 100 to 200 meters off Kennedy Town Praya, with thick smoke visible in the air.

The fire department swiftly arrived at the scene in response to the reports. However, upon their arrival, they could not locate the vessel involved and subsequently withdrew.

An eyewitness, surnamed Cheuk, recounted that around 2.30 am, while at Belcher Bay Park, he heard shouts. He then caught sight of the fire and smoke rising from the sea, positioned roughly 100 to 200 meters from the park. Cheuk immediately contacted the police to assist the distressed individual.

Meanwhile, the vessel was recorded and seen continuing its course towards Central. Remarkably, the fire on the boat was extinguished within about five minutes.

It is believed that the fire was extinguished by the crew onboard.

In the video provided by the eyewitness, the boat was seen on fire around Tsing Chau and continued to move forward despite the emergency, with eyewitnesses stating that it was an unusual situation and questioning why it continued to move on.

It is understood that if a fire breaks out on a ship, the crew will often put it out themselves. Seagoing merchant ships are equipped with fire-fighting equipment such as fire hoses and breathing apparatus, and the crew must undergo fire-fighting training.