HK firefighters battle blaze at construction site

Hong Kong firefighters battled a blaze on Friday that broke out overnight at a construction site in a popular shopping district and forced around 130 people in nearby buildings to evacuate. No casualties have been reported after the fire erupted at the Mariners’ Club redevelopment project in the densely populated Tsim Sha Tsui district about 11pm Thursday.

Multiple floors of the structure including scaffoldingwere on fire, and burning debris floated in the air. The Empire Group’s redevelopment plan was to build a 42-story architectural landmark to house the historic Mariners’ Club and a new hotel, the firm’s website said. The site is surrounded by a shopping center, several hotels and some residential and commercial buildings. The government said the fire was largely put out at 8:30 a.m. People staying in three buildings close to the scene had to be evacuated, police said.