250 firefighters called in to put out Tsuen Wan blaze
More than 250 firefighters took about four hours to put out a blaze at a construction site in the New Territories that left two workers in hospital yesterday.
Emergency personnel were called in when the fire broke out at a two-storey metal structure at the Hoi Kok Street site under a Tsuen Wan Road flyover in Tsuen Wan at 6.38am.
The site is managed by the
Drainage Services Department and its contractor.
The 15 metre by 20 metre structure, used for offices and resting areas, was badly damaged in the blaze, which spewed out clouds of black smoke that resulted in a section of the flyover being temporarily closed to traffic.
The fire was upgraded to a third-alarm blaze at 6.50am. Fires in the city are rated on a scale of one to five according to their seriousness.
The city’s emergency services deployed 60 fire engines and nine ambulances to the scene.
Senior divisional officer Lo Kit-hung of the Fire Services Department said 290 firefighters and paramedics were deployed during the incident.
“It was upgraded to a thirdalarm fire because the blaze covered a large area and the fire spread quickly,” he said, adding the fierce heat had bent a part of the structure, which posed a safety risk.
Firefighters battled the blaze with four jets, bringing it under control at 10.32am before finally putting it out about 20 minutes later.
During the fire, one worker sustained limb fractures after jumping from the burning building, while another suffered abrasions when they ran outside. Both were taken to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan for treatment.
Lo said no dangerous goods were stored at the site and the department was investigating the cause of the blaze.
The Environmental Protection Department told residents yesterday morning the incident appeared to have had little impact on the district’s air quality.
“The air quality data collected at the air monitoring station in Tsuen Wan district has not shown any abnormality for the time being,” it said.
“Members of the public in Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung may be affected by the smoke and unusual odour carried by the wind. Hence, members of the public are advised to close their doors and windows if necessary, and stay calm.”