Blackened concrete walls and remnants of scaffolding were visible in the morning as city workers cleared debris from the road, an AFP reporter said on the spot. Authorities said the blaze in Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy shopping and tourist district on the waterfront, was “largely extinguished” as of 8:30 a.m. local time Friday (0030 GMT), nine hours after it broke out. No casualties were reported, according to the government, with police telling AFP that 170 residents had been relocated to safety. The fire broke out at 11:11 p.m. (3:11 p.m. GMT), with flames first seen near scaffolding at the top of the building.
The blaze was visible from the harbor and sent cinders tumbling down nearby streets. An hour later, the fire spread to the entire building under construction and descended towards the street, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered. Police said five buildings in the area reported fires, some of which were quickly extinguished.
The building under construction, 42 floors, was to house a hotel and the historic Mariners’ Club according to the website of its promoter, the Empire Group. The project, estimated at $764 million, was launched in 2019 and was originally scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2023, according to local media. Asked by AFP, the Empire Group did not respond immediately.