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DISASTER10h agoHong Kong leader pledges building maintenance reforms after fatal Tai Po fireHong Kong’s leader has pledged to overhaul the city’s building maintenance regime and improve emergency response as part of the government’s response to last year’s fatal Tai Po fire, while authorities study criminalising bid-rigging and plan to submit a proposal later this year. The measures were outlined in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address on Wednesday, amid pressure on the government to strengthen oversight of renovation works after the city’s deadliest fire in decades at...South China Morning Post
DISASTER14h agoHong Kong must prepare for the impact of heat-related work stoppagesAt the beginning of August, when temperatures in Hong Kong hit highs not seen for at least 140 years, the Labour Department’s Heat Stress at Work Warning system remained at the amber level, the lowest of three tiers. The controversy that followed raised a broader question: are our heat warnings adequately protecting people who work outdoors? The Labour Department has since announced changes that will lead to earlier heat-stress warnings. These improvements to worker protection are welcome. But...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 9Buildings Department files 259 charges over work at fire-ravaged Hong Kong estateHong Kong’s Buildings Department has filed 259 charges against two companies and four individuals over major renovation works at the inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, after investigations found non-fire-retardant materials were used and safety obligations were not met. The department said on Wednesday that the charges included allegedly permitting or authorising to be used in the carrying out of building works materials which are defective or did not comply with the provisions of the Buildings...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 9Hong Kong agencies warn of lingering Jakarta flight delays after volcano eruptionSome Hong Kong employment and travel companies have warned that air traffic in Jakarta could continue to face disruptions even after the Indonesian capital’s international airport reopened following a volcanic eruption that spewed ash into the sky, as airlines work through a backlog. GLC (Manado) Employment Service founder and director Chu Shek-yin told the South China Morning Post that he would not rush to book an air ticket for his client’s helper despite the resumption of operations at all...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 8Hong Kong families hit as volcanic ash strands up to 200 helpers in IndonesiaUp to 200 Hong Kong-bound domestic helpers remain stranded in Indonesia despite the reopening of several affected airports, as the city’s employment agencies association braces for possible further closures due to volcanic ash. The Indonesian transport ministry said Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed operations on Tuesday after being shut for several days, following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa on Saturday, which affected thousands of travellers. Among those stranded...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 7Hong Kong’s Nepalis gather for prayers on 13th day of flood mourningHundreds of Nepalis in Hong Kong gathered on Monday to pay tribute to thousands of victims of the flash flood in their homeland, marking the traditional 13th day of mourning since the disaster struck. The hour-long programme, organised by local community groups with support from the Nepalese consulate, coincided with a national day of mourning in Nepal on September 7. Addressing the crowd, Satish Gurung, the acting consul general for Nepal in Hong Kong, said it was a “very difficult time” for...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 6Fatal cycling accidents in Hong Kong more than double in first half of 2026Fatal cycling accidents in Hong Kong more than doubled in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, with nine deaths recorded, as police point to cyclists ignoring traffic signals and road signs. Overall, there were 59 fatal traffic accidents in the first six months of the year, killing 63 people, up more than 40 per cent from a year earlier. Fatal cases involving bicycles surged 125 per cent, accounting for nine of those deaths. “Most cyclists tend to ignore traffic signals and road...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 6Elderly hiker airlifted to hospital after collapsing at scenic spot in Hong KongAn elderly man has been airlifted to hospital after collapsing while hiking at a popular scenic spot in southern Hong Kong. Police said they received a report at 9.13am on Sunday from a passer-by about an incident involving a man in his seventies at Yuk Kwai Shan on Ap Lei Chau An ambulance was dispatched to the scene, while a Government Flying Service helicopter took him to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan. Yuk Kwai Shan, also known as Mount Johnston, is a scenic spot...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 3Hong Kong Nepalese man searches for cousin missing in flood: ‘I cannot sleep’A Hong Kong Nepalese man is searching for his cousin who is missing after the catastrophic flood struck the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet. Y.B. Gurung, a 64-year-old retiree, told the South China Morning Post that he last spoke with his tour guide cousin Raju Gurung, 40, at 8am on August 26, shortly before a massive glacial collapse triggered the flash flood that washed away villages and left at least 1,225 people dead. “I cannot sleep every night. I am praying every day that he was...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 2At least 14 injured after 2 buses collide at Hong Kong primary schoolFourteen people, including nine children, have been injured in a collision involving two school buses at a Hong Kong girls’ primary school. The Fire Services Department said on Wednesday that it dispatched 10 ambulances to handle the accident at 1.26pm at Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, located at No 381 Jat’s Incline in Ngau Chi Wan. Eight of the 14 injured people were sent to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong for treatment, while another five were admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 1Power failure halts trams running between Hong Kong’s Wan Chai and AdmiraltyTram services between Wan Chai and Admiralty in Hong Kong were suspended Tuesday night due to a power failure, the second such incident in two days. The Transport Department issued a special traffic bulletin at 9.37pm, saying it had been notified by Hong Kong Tramways that eastbound and westbound services between Admiralty MTR station and Tonnochy Road were suspended because of an electricity fault. It marked the second consecutive day of tram disruptions. On Monday night, services on the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 29Hong Kong school opens at new Tai Po campus after deadly Wang Fuk Court blazeNearly 600 pupils and their teachers at a Hong Kong primary school closed after the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze will be reunited at a newly renovated campus in Tai Po, ending months spent across two temporary sites. Tai Po Baptist Public School, formerly located near Wang Fuk Court, opened its new premises at Fu Shin Estate on Saturday, with pupils, teachers and parents expressing relief at finally having a settled place to reunite. The campus was formerly home to CCC Kei Ching Primary School,...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 29Hong Kong sets aside HK$50 million in relief fund for Nepal-Tibet flood victimsHong Kong’s government has earmarked HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) from the Disaster Relief Fund for those affected by deadly flash floods near Nepal’s border with Tibet’s Gyirong county, which have left hundreds dead and thousands missing. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the move in a Facebook post on Saturday. “I express my deep condolences for the victims and extend my heartfelt sympathies to those affected and the families of the victims,” he said. He said the Disaster Relief...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 273 people injured, 4 cats dead after power bank catches fire in Hong Kong flatThree people have been injured and four cats have died after a power bank caught fire in a public housing flat in Hong Kong, forcing nearly 80 residents to evacuate. Police said they received a report at 2.51am on Thursday from a resident that the power bank inside her flat at So Uk Estate in Cheung Sha Wan had caught fire and that she managed to escape in time. Multiple other calls reported thick smoke coming from the location. The Fire Services Department said firefighters arrived shortly...South China Morning Post
DISASTERBREAKINGAug 27Hong Kong issues red rainstorm warning as morning and whole-day classes suspendedHong Kong’s weather forecaster has downgraded the red rainstorm warning to amber, while education authorities announced that afternoon classes would proceed even though morning and whole-day schools were suspended. The Observatory earlier issued the red signal – the middle level in a three-tier system – at 5.05am, and soon after also issued a Special Landslip Advisory warning of potential landslides in Po Toi Island due to heavy rain. The forecaster downgraded the warning to amber at 9.20am, as...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 27As Hong Kong faces more heatwaves, what must be done to make the city more resilient?Yung, an elderly Hong Kong resident, has spent hours hanging out at a neighbourhood shopping centre in Kwai Chung all summer. But he has not been going there to shop, instead taking refuge from the sweltering heat in the mall’s soothing air-conditioned arcade. The retiree, who lives in a 100 sq ft subdivided flat with his wife, is reluctant to use the air conditioner for long periods to avoid a hefty electricity bill, despite the hot and stuffy weather in recent weeks. “There have been more...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 26Dog injured, woman bitten in 2 new canine attack cases in Hong KongHong Kong authorities are investigating two new dog attack cases that have resulted in injuries to a canine and a woman, which come amid mounting safety concerns after two other similar but deadlier incidents last week. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Wednesday that it had been notified by police about the first incident involving the injured dog and had contacted its owner to gather more information. “If there is sufficient evidence that persons concerned...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 2558 evacuated, woman taken to hospital after fire at Hong Kong flatAbout 60 people were evacuated and a 98-year-old woman was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a flat in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Police said they received multiple reports of the blaze at 488 Hennessy Road in Causeway Bay at 10.59am. The 58 people evacuated comprised 25 women and 17 men from the building, plus another 11 men and five women from a bank on the ground floor. The elderly woman reported feeling unwell and was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, police said. At 11.39am, the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 25Construction safety design needed to reduce fatal accidents in Hong Kong: expertsHong Kong should make safety design a part of all building development plans and address the culture of rushing work at construction sites, industry leaders have said after the city recorded 15 fatal industrial accidents earlier this year. Their calls followed the warning by Construction Industry Council chairman Thomas Ho On-sing on Monday that the number of such accidents was on the rise despite stiffer penalties, reflecting that a safety culture had failed to take root. Ho pointed out that up...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 25Landslide kills 18 people in Hong Kong’s Sau Mau Ping – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on August 26, 1976. Tragedy hits Sau Mau Ping At least seven people, including four children, were killed by the landslide that hit Sau Mau Ping Estate yesterday (August 25, 1976). Yesterday’s disaster was only a few blocks away from a slope which slipped on June 18, 1972, killing 67 people. Fire Services teams, assisted by the Army, spent the night under search lights trying to locate people still not accounted for and thought to be buried under tons of mud...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 24Typhoon signal in Hong Kong unlikely in next 2 days but expect unsettled weatherThe likelihood that Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue a typhoon signal in the next two days is “relatively low”, although multiple tropical cyclones are set to bring unsettled weather to the city later this week. The Observatory said at noon on Monday that Tropical Storm Narra was expected to skirt the coast of the Leizhou Peninsula in western Guangdong province in the coming days while “maintaining some distance from Hong Kong”. “Unless Narra further edges closer to the vicinity of the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 23Elderly man hospitalised, 2 others hurt after escalator fall at Hong Kong mallA 76-year-old man has been sent to hospital after falling on an escalator at a Hong Kong shopping centre, while two other elderly people sustained minor injuries, according to police. The force received a report at 4.19pm on Sunday that three people had fallen on an escalator in phase one of Shek Lei Shopping Centre, leaving the man trapped. He sustained injuries to his arms and legs and was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital. Photos circulating online show fire services personnel and...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 23Patient arrested after bedding, restraint belts set ablaze at Hong Kong hospitalA patient has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to bedding and restraint belts at a Hong Kong hospital, with no injuries reported. Police arrested the 25-year-old man surnamed Wong at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for alleged arson. He remained in custody pending further investigation. The fire was reported at 12.36am on Sunday after a security guard alerted police. The suspect allegedly set fire to mattresses and restraint belts at the hospital. After a preliminary investigation,...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 23Hong Kong may issue typhoon signal on Tuesday or Wednesday as Narra approachesThe Hong Kong Observatory may issue a typhoon signal on Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm edges closer to the region. “Tropical Cyclone Narra is expected to linger over the vicinity of Beibu Wan today and tomorrow, and then turn northeastwards gradually later on Monday to Tuesday, edging closer to the vicinity of Leizhou Peninsula,” the forecaster said on Sunday. Leizhou Peninsula sits at the far southwestern tip of Guangdong province, located at 400km (248.5 miles) west-southwest of Hong...South China Morning Post
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