Around 3,400 people were moved to safety on Friday after a fire broke out at a warehouse in Cheung Sha Wan, with two workers at the site and two firefighters taken to hospital after breathing in smoke.

The fire at the building on Fat Tseung Street started at around 2pm and sent huge clouds of smoke billowing into the sky.

Police said nearby residents were caught up in the evacuations, along with students and teachers from several schools.

The headteacher of Ying Wa Primary School, Sylvia Chan, said the school day normally ends at 2:30pm, but pupils were sent home as soon as staff learnt of the fire.

Chan said she received no reports of children feeling unwell.

The Home Affairs Department designated Sham Shui Po Sports Centre as a temporary shelter for anyone affected by the incident.

The Kowloon West fire services divisional officer, Wilson Kong, told a media briefing on Friday night that the blaze was largely put out after nearly seven hours.

He added that although the fire is not considered suspicious, inflammables and plastics at the scene may have been the reason why the blaze was relatively large.

Kong said it is believed that the fire was started by sparks during works in a vacant refrigerated warehouse in the building.

"When firefighters arrive, we tried to use the fire safety devices – but they didn't work properly. These include the sprinklers and water curtain systems," he told reporters.

Kong said an annual check was conducted at the site in August last year, and officers will continue to probe the cause of the fire.
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Last updated: 2023-03-24 HKT 21:55