Cranes collapse fear as inferno rips through site

More than 150 workers were evacuated when a category three fire gutted a construction site at Hung Shui Kiu yesterday afternoon, as firefighters continued to ensure that the two 50-meters-tall cranes on the site would not collapse.

The Fire Services Department upgraded the blaze to a No. 4 alarm fire - the second highest in the five-tired system - at 9.31pm.

Conal Hui Kwong-ho, the acting officer of the New Territories North division's Fire Service Department, said the fire likely originated in the basement and quickly spread, engulfing an area of approximately 5,600 square meters. "All 152 construction workers had managed to evacuate before firefighters arrived, and no injuries or fatalities were reported," he said.

"The challenging nature of the operation was due to the enormous area it affected, thick smoke, high temperatures, and significant amounts of construction materials, including acetylene cylinders that posed a risk of explosion under high temperatures."

He assured that the two cranes on the site were not immediately at risk of collapsing, but they were continuously monitored.

This incident followed another construction site fire on Hung Nga Road in Tin Shui Wai earlier that day, which resulted in billowing smoke.

The department upgraded the fire to a category three alarm at 2.44pm, indicating its severity. Firefighters used a drone for high-altitude inspections and monitoring, as well as robots to assist in managing the blaze.

While stressing the importance of their safety, the department cautioned residents to avoid the area doused in intense heat, including the potential risk of the crane collapsing.

The temperature nearby reached 500 degrees Celsius, and the crane at the site was at risk of collapse, therefore the department urged residents to stay away from the site.

Sources at the scene suspected the fire started during iron sawing, igniting nearby building materials and quickly escalating into an uncontrollable blaze.

The power supplier, CLP, dispatched personnel to the site to temporarily cut off the power supply, facilitating firefighting operations.

The construction site is part of the Housing Society's Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen Dedicated Rehousing Estate project, contracted by Paul Y Engineering.

The society confirmed that the fire occurred at the project's phase two construction site, while expressing its full cooperation with relevant departments in their investigation and subsequent actions.

The project itself aims to provide 962 subsidized sale flats and is scheduled for completion in 2026.