2 injured in Hong Kong construction site fire

Two firefighters were injured in a fire that broke out at a construction site on Thursday at 6:38 am in Hong Kong's Hoi Kok Street, in which almost 300 firefighters were involved in battling the blaze.

According to the representatives from the Fire Services Department and police, the reason behind the fire at the construction site is still being investigated. The representative further stated that the fire started in a staff room of a two-storey zinc building at the centre of the blaze.

The Hong Kong's Drainage Services Department, which manages the site, told the fire-fighters that there were no hazardous articles stored in the building and no staff had stayed there overnight.

Two site superintendents were found lying on the ground near the zinc structure with suspected bone fractures. Both were taken to the Yan Chai Hospital.

In order to extinguish the fire, sixty fire trucks, nine ambulances and 290 personnel were sent and were largely extinguished some four hours later, The Hong Kong Post reported.

The fire was upgraded to a number 3 alarm 12 minutes after it broke out.

One of the injured patients had jumped from the second floor to the ground, reported The Hong Kong Post citing Ming Pao and HK01 reports.

The Environmental Protection Department warned of "heavy smoke" at the scene but its air quality monitoring station did not show an abnormal reading.

In a statement issued around 9 am, the environmental department advised residents in Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung to stay calm and shut doors and windows if necessary.

( With inputs from ANI )