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DISASTER19h agoHong Kong leader apologizes for deadly fire that tested Beijing’s grip on cityNBC News
DISASTER22h agoLit cigarette, combustibles and ‘human fault’ led to deadly Hong Kong fire: reportA combination of a lit cigarette and an “abundant fuel” of combustible materials caused Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, according to a long-awaited report which found the blaze would not have killed so many people, or happened at all, without “human fault”. Eleven months after the deadly fire tore through Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 and displacing thousands, an independent committee’s report released on Thursday assigned blame to the main contractor for renovations at the housing estate,...South China Morning Post
DISASTER22h agoHong Kong Leader Apologizes for Deadly Apartment Building FireJohn Lee, the city’s chief executive, said his housing secretary would step down, but he vehemently defended the government.NYT World
DISASTER2d agoFire at Hong Kong’s first incinerator prompts calls to rethink waste strategyThe abrupt suspension of Hong Kong’s first waste incinerator after a fire is a stark warning against relying too heavily on the HK$31.3 billion (US$4 billion) plant, environmentalists have said, while a former lawmaker has urged the government to keep its landfill-free timetable on track. Monday’s blaze broke out on the roof of the third incineration module at the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1, or I·PARK1, on an artificial island off Shek Kwu Chau. More than 900 people were...South China Morning Post
DISASTER4d agoFire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plantA fire broke out on Monday at Hong Kong’s waste-to-energy incinerator on an artificial island off Shek Kwu Chau. The blaze started at 12.43pm at the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase I and was upgraded to a No 3 alarm at 1.24pm, the Fire Services Department said. A No 3 alarm is the third of five levels, with five the most severe. Higher alarm levels trigger the deployment of more resources to fight a fire. Firefighters deployed two water jets and two breathing apparatus teams to...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 23Hong Kong marks hottest ‘Frost’ solar term on record at 32.1 degrees CelsiusHong Kong recorded its highest-ever temperature for the traditional Chinese calendar’s “Frost” solar term on Friday, with the weather forecaster warning of a very dry weekend ahead. The Hong Kong Observatory said the temperature reached 32.1 degrees Celsius by 2.30pm. Frost, the 18th of the Chinese lunisolar calendar’s 24 solar terms, began on October 23. The terms mark natural phenomena and seasonal changes. Temperatures in the city have topped 30 degrees over the past few weeks, partly because...South China Morning Post
DISASTERBREAKINGOct 23Super Typhoon Champi disrupts more than 70 flights between Hong Kong and TaiwanMore than 70 flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan have been cancelled as Super Typhoon Champi approaches the island ahead of a possible landfall later on Friday. As of noon on Friday, more than 30 flights between the city and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport had been cancelled, according to a South China Morning Post check of the Hong Kong airport’s website. Nine outbound flights to Kaohsiung International Airport and Taichung International Airport were also cancelled. The affected flights...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 22Super Typhoon Champi: Hong Kong airlines cancel at least 12 Taiwan, Japan flightsAirlines in Hong Kong have cancelled or rescheduled more than a dozen flights to and from Taiwan and Japan due to Super Typhoon Champi, with further disruption expected in the coming days. Budget carrier HK Express announced it would cancel 10 flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan on Friday, with six serving Taipei and two each serving Taichung and Kaohsiung. Four other flights serving Taichung and Kaohsiung have been postponed until Saturday. The airline said it was notifying affected passengers...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 21Why is Hong Kong so hot in October and will winter be warmer than usual?Hong Kong’s exceptionally warm October weather is being driven by a combination of a super typhoon, El Nino and global warming, a climate expert has said, warning that higher-than-usual temperatures are likely to persist through the winter. The warning came as autumn temperatures across the city topped 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) over the past few weeks. Professor Amos Tai Pui-kuen, of the earth and environmental sciences department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, explained on...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 17Hong Kong orders lift contractors to review doors installed over past 10 yearsHong Kong authorities have ordered all lift contractors to review the design and construction of landing doors installed over the past 10 years, after a government investigation found missing fire-safety components in lifts in at least 78 private buildings and two public estates. The director of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department issued the order in a letter following inspections into lift contractor Taizoom Elevator that revealed “serious deficiencies”. The company is under...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 163 arrested over missing fire-safety parts in 48 Hong Kong lifts, source saysHong Kong police have arrested a director and two registered lift engineers on suspicion of deception in connection with faulty replacement works on 48 lifts at two housing estates, the South China Morning Post has learned. The latest suspected faults come just months after a fiasco involving lifts at a new hospital block, and experts said on Friday a thorough review of the regulatory process could be needed A source said the three suspects were from Taizoom Elevator, which replaced nine lifts...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 14Hong Kong MTR trains skip Lam Tin station after smoke reported on platformTrain services at Lam Tin station gradually resumed on Wednesday morning, about an hour after smoke from platform equipment forced the station to close. At around 10am, the MTR Corporation said the incident had been resolved and normal train services were gradually resuming. The rail operator had earlier announced that Kwun Tong line trains would skip Lam Tin station because equipment on the platform was emitting smoke. It temporarily closed the station and evacuated passengers. Photos...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 13Commuters stranded as track fire disrupts MTR services in Hong KongA fire near an MTR track halted train services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations during the evening rush hour in Hong Kong on Tuesday, leaving commuters stranded on packed platforms and concourses. Services along the Kwun Tong line gradually resumed at roughly 6.40pm after the fire was extinguished, the MTR Corporation said. The fire, reported along the Whampoa-bound line at Lam Tin station, led to the suspension of services at four stations: Kwun Tong, Lam Tin, Yau Tong and Tiu Keng...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 134 elderly women among 179 reported trapped in lifts after power dip in Hong KongFour elderly women were injured among nearly 180 reports of people being trapped in lifts after a brief voltage dip in CLP Power’s network tripped building safety mechanisms in various districts across Hong Kong on Tuesday. The Fire Services Department said that from 1.10pm to 3pm, it received 179 reports of persons trapped in lifts and 40 fire alarms going off in parts of Kowloon and the New Territories. Residential and commercial buildings, hospitals, shopping centres, MTR stations and school...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 10Lack of heat action plan leaves Hong Kong’s vulnerable residents at risk, experts warnEnvironmentalists and academics have criticised the omission of a systemic heat-health action plan in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and latest policy address, warning that relying on “common sense” is failing to protect vulnerable residents from rising temperatures. Their comments came as new research from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) found that extreme heat may have contributed to as many as 3,238 excess deaths in the city over the past decade. In response to the South China Morning...South China Morning Post
DISASTERBREAKINGOct 6Fire breaks out on rooftop of residential building in Hong Kong’s Mong KokFirefighters are battling a rooftop blaze at a residential building in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The Fire Services Department received a report at about 5.20pm on Tuesday that items stored on the rooftop of the 26-storey Block B at the Shun King Building on Nelson Street had caught fire. No casualties had been reported as of 7pm, while some residents self-evacuated the building. Firefighters were tackling the blaze with one water jet. Strong flames and...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 4Hong Kong issues amber rainstorm warningThe Hong Kong Observatory has issued an amber rainstorm warning, with the signal set to remain in place until 11.30pm on Sunday. The weather forecaster issued the warning at 8.20pm. “A few squally thunderstorms are expected to occur over Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the Observatory said. Showers would be heavy at times in the evening. The forecaster also warned that intense gusts reaching 70km/h (43mph) could affect the city. It said there would be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 4Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear faultA flight bound for Okinawa returned to Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning after its landing gear was suspected to have failed to fully retract after take-off. Hong Kong Airlines said the crew of flight HX676, which departed at 8.57am, decided to return to ensure safety, in line with standard procedures. “[The flight] encountered a suspected incomplete landing gear retraction issue after take-off,” the airline said. The aircraft landed safely at 10am, with no injuries reported on board. The...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 4Hong Kong Airlines flight to Okinawa turns back after landing gear faultA Hong Kong Airlines flight bound for Okinawa returned safely to Hong Kong International Airport on Sunday morning following a landing gear malfunction, with no injuries reported among those on board.thestandard_hk · hong kong
DISASTEROct 1Hong Kong power outages hit Ho Man Tin, disrupting 1,000 households and hotelTwo power outages hit Hong Kong’s Ho Man Tin, the first lasting more than four hours overnight into Thursday, disrupting hotel operations and about 1,000 households. CLP Power, which supplies electricity to Kowloon and the New Territories, said equipment near Waterloo Road in Kowloon first malfunctioned at 11.18pm on Wednesday, affecting about 1,000 customers. “After CLP Power’s engineering personnel conducted an emergency repair and deployed some mobile electricity generators at the scene, the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 28At least 21 Hong Kong-Bangkok flights delayed amid flooding in Thai capitalAt least 21 flights connecting Hong Kong and Bangkok were disrupted on Sunday and Monday, with passengers on one service leaving the Thai capital facing a nearly 24-hour delay after the Southeast Asian city was hit by its worst flood in 15 years. Heavy rainfall lashed Bangkok – a top travel destination for Hongkongers – between Thursday and Monday, prompting Thai officials to declare the city a disaster zone. Despite the flight disruptions, Hongkongers in the Thai capital said the central...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 2817 injured as minibus hits truck on Hong Kong highway during morning rushSeventeen people have been injured in Hong Kong after a minibus collided with a truck on Fanling Highway in the New Territories during the peak-hour commute. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9am on Monday after the minibus travelling towards Tai Po struck the truck near Choi Yuen Estate in Sheung Shui, police said. The truck had slowed down on the highway when the minibus failed to brake in time and crashed into it, the force said. The crash injured 16 passengers and the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 273 hikers fall ill on Hong Kong trails as temperatures top 33 degreesAt least three hikers fell ill on countryside trails as temperatures in parts of Hong Kong climbed to a sweltering 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) on Sunday. A 25-year-old visitor was suspected of suffering from heatstroke while he hiked with friends on the popular High Island Reservoir East Dam-Po Pin Chau hiking route in Sai Kung at about noon. A government helicopter airlifted him to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for treatment. The route is one of Hong Kong’s best-known hiking trails,...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 24Private jet flap scare triggers ‘local standby’ at Hong Kong airportA mechanical fault on a private jet triggered a precautionary “local standby” at Hong Kong’s airport on Thursday, with the aircraft later landing safely. The Gulfstream G650 reported a flap problem at around 5.21pm, with an estimated time of arrival of 5.53pm, prompting the Fire Services Department and other airport rescue units to deploy personnel to strategic positions along the runway in readiness for immediate assistance. An ambulance was also dispatched as part of the initial emergency...South China Morning Post
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