20 trapped in lifts after fire alarms triggered

Thick white smoke engulfed the Nga Ying Chau Street CLP substation in Tsing Yi, prompting multiple cases of people being trapped in lifts and triggering automatic fire alarms in the New Territories.

The fire services confirmed that it was due to a voltage dip at 3.17pm yesterday, and advised people to remain calm as the department conducted rescue operations and contained the situation.

Police received numerous reports from residents nearby saying they heard an explosion and smoke emitting from the substation. Firefighters and police officers rushed to the scene but found no fire or smoke. No one was injured and an evacuation was not necessary.

The Fire Services Department said it had recorded a total of 20 cases of people being trapped in lifts and five cases of automatic fire alarms in Kwai Ching, Sha Tin, and Ma On Shan. The department classified the case as "smoke found" after firefighters and CLP staff found an equipment failure in the substation.

A CLP spokesman claimed its substation on Nga Ying Chau Street encountered an equipment malfunction at around 3.13pm, which caused smoke emissions.

The automatic protection system immediately isolated the faulty part of the substation, but the power supply was not interrupted, he added.

"The incident has caused a temporary voltage dip and some tenants living nearby may encounter dimming or flickering of lights; while some electrical installations that are sensitive to voltage changes, such as elevators, may be suspended due to activation of protective devices," he said.

"CLP would like to express apologies for the incident causing inconvenience to our tenants. Our engineers are investigating the cause of the incident."

The voltage dip affected various public and private housing estates in Tsing Yi, including Maritime Square, Cheung Hong Estate, Cheung Wang Estate, Greenfield Garden, and Villa Esplanada.

An affected resident named Chan said she heard a loud explosion at the time of the incident and she decided to stay home as the fuse at her apartment was fine. "Of course, I am not going anywhere!" Chan said. "Who knows if I would be trapped in the lift when going downstairs?"

Another affected resident said: "My computer was shut down that time, and my television as well."

Kwai Tsing District Councillor Lo Yuen-ting and the community care team arrived at the substation after the incident.

Speaking on a Facebook live streaming session, Lo said that Nga Ying Chau Street was once cordoned off but was unblocked at about 5pm after police officers confirmed that there was no further risk of an explosion in the substation.

Lee, the chairman of the management committee of the Villa Esplanada owners' corporation, said the housing estate had people trapped in nine of its lifts, and all residents who were trapped were released within 45 minutes after the incident.

In June 2022, a fire at a CLP cable bridge caused a 13-hour blackout in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, and Tuen Mun. More than 1.1 million residents had been affected. The power giant faced a fine of HK$16 million for the power outage.