A 42-story building under construction in Hong Kong caught fire late Thursday, showering a bustling shopping district with sparks and debris and lighting up the nighttime sky.
Onlookers flocked to the waterfront neighborhood of Tsim Sha Tsui to take in the spectacle, as the flames made their way through the skyscraper and the scaffolding around it and explosions pierced the air.
News reports put the number of people injured at two. Firefighters battled the blaze for nine hours, putting it out around 8:30 a.m. Friday, reports said.
The construction project, a redevelopment of Hong Kong’s old Mariner’s Club, sits near five-star lodging and luxury residences, some of which had to be evacuated. Several nearby buildings also caught fire, but firefighters were able to douse those flames.
At one point, sparks threatened a nearby hotel and office, The South China Morning Post reported.
The developers planned to open a new hotel at the site, an area popular with both tourists and Hong Kongers for its shopping, cultural attractions and views of the harbor.
