Firefighters battle blaze in Hong Kong shopping district

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong firefighters battled a huge blaze that broke out at a construction site in a popular shopping district. The fire forced around 170 people to evacuate nearby buildings. The fire erupted at the Mariners’ Club redevelopment project at 11 p.m. Thursday in the densely populated Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon. Multiple floors were still on fire as dawn broke, but the blaze was less serious compared to hours earlier. The government said the fire was largely put out at 8:30 a.m. after a nine-hour battle. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Authorities were still investigating the cause. Deputy chief fire officer Keung Sai-ming said his team faced various challenges, including a lack of equipment at the construction site.