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A stray sky lantern carrying an open flame was spotted floating between densely populated residential buildings in Mid-Levels in the early hours of Saturday, narrowly avoiding a potential fire hazard.
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The incident came to light after two videos circulated on the social media platform Threads, showing the illuminated lantern drifting through the night sky near high-rise towers on Hong Kong Island.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene and retrieved the extinguished lantern from a pavement. No injuries were reported.
Eyewitness alerts authorities after spotting flames near apartments
The user who reported the incident to the police stated that the lantern was seen floating in the vicinity of 78 Bonham Road (Ning Yeung Terrace) and King's College in Mid-Levels.
The eyewitness recalled seeing flashes of light outside the window during the early hours and realizing that someone had illegally released a sky lantern, prompting an immediate call to the 999 emergency hotline.
Expressing anger over the reckless act, the user noted that the floating lantern nearly drifted into nearby residential units multiple times, warning that the danger was particularly severe given the dry and windy autumn weather.
Firefighters retrieve extinguished lantern as police investigate
The Fire Services Department received a report at shortly before 1am regarding the sky lantern outside 78 Bonham Road.
Firefighters arrived within minutes, and with the help of the informant who went downstairs to assist, located and recovered the extinguished lantern from the pavement. Police are currently investigating the identity of the person who launched it.
The footage generated widespread condemnation online, with social media users slamming the individual for endangering public safety during dry weather conditions.
Under current Hong Kong laws, illegally releasing sky lanterns or other burning objects into the air may violate the Forests and Countryside Ordinance or other relevant legislation, carrying penalties of fines and imprisonment.
