Firefighters spent several hours tackling a serious blaze in Central on Saturday that forced scores of people to flee to safety and put four people in hospital.

Scaffolding on Chinachem Tower on Connaught Road Central caught fire at around 4.30pm.

The incident was upgraded to a No 3 alarm a short time later.

Thick smoke billowed from the scene and dozens of people evacuated the area, officials said.

A man who suffered head injuries and two men and a woman who breathed in smoke were taken to hospital. One of the four had been trapped in a lift, firefighters said.

Deputy divisional commander Lo Shui-sang said an investigation team would look to determine the cause of the blaze and why it spread so rapidly.

"Why did the scaffolding ignite and burn so quickly? This is one of the key directions we are focusing on in our probe. When we first arrived at the scene, the scaffolding was already almost completely burnt through," Lo said.

The incident forced the closure of all Sheung Wan-bound lanes of Connaught Road Central near Pedder Street, along with all lanes of Des Voeux Road Central, in both directions, between Queen Victoria Street and Pottinger Street.

Some KMB services were affected by the road closures, with a number of routes diverted, while tram services were also hit.
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Last updated: 2025-10-18 HKT 22:39