A 61-year-old man has been taken to hospital with second-degree burns after a fire broke out at a plastics warehouse in Yuen Long where he worked.
The blaze broke out at 12:39 am on Friday at Wing Ning Tsuen in Yuen Long, and was upgraded to a third alarm fire some 20 minutes later. It was largely extinguished within three hours.
The authorities advised residents affected by the smoke and any unusual odours to close their doors and windows and stay calm.
New Territories North Division Officer Samuel Wong said the department deployed 161 paramedics and firefighters with three hoses and 38 fire trucks, and three breathing apparatus teams.
The blaze emitted a large amount of smoke because the warehouse, measuring 20 metres by 40 metres, was stacked with plastic pipes, Wong told reporters in the early hours.
While the fire had been largely put out, firefighters were still working to reduce the overall temperature of the area, Wong said.
The worker suffered second-degree burns to more than half of his body and was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital, said Fung San-yen, head of the Lei Muk Shue Ambulance Depot.
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
