HONG KONG - A skyscraper under construction in the heart of Hong Kong’s historic shopping and tourist district was left scorched on Friday by a massive fire, with the authorities saying the blaze had been largely extinguished.

The building’s concrete walls were left blackened and what remained of its bamboo-and-tarpaulin scaffolding was left in tatters on Friday morning, as municipal workers swept roads clean of debris.

Officials said the fire broke out at 11.11pm on Thursday in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy shopping and tourist district on the city’s harbourfront, and was “largely put out” by 8.30am the next day.

A major section of the neighbourhood’s main Nathan Road thoroughfare – one of Hong Kong’s main transport lifelines – had been shut, the authorities said, causing traffic disruptions.

No casualties were reported though two people were treated for minor injuries, the fire department said. The police told Agence France-Presse that 170 people from nearby residential blocks were relocated to a safe distance as sparks and embers fell to the ground.

Flames were first spotted near scaffolding at the top of the building, with the blaze clearly visible across the harbour and sending sparks raining down onto neighbouring streets.

Around an hour later, the fire had spread down the length of the building and was approaching street level, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered.

Japanese tourist Tosho Sai, who was staying in a nearby building, said a security guard told everyone on his floor to leave after a window in the unit next door was hit by embers.

A French business traveller passing by the site said he saw “lots of debris falling” from the tower.

Flames were seen on the roof of an office tower across the street at around 3.30am, prompting fears of a wider inferno in the densely built area.

The police said five buildings in the surrounding area had reported fires, though some had been quickly extinguished.

Large pieces of debris – apparently from the site – were visible on the ground, and an acrid smell permeated the air, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

On Friday, senior fire department official Keung Sai Ming said embers had sparked two fires on the roofs of nearby buildings, but they were quickly extinguished.

“Last night, there were strong winds, which blew the flames towards five nearby buildings,” he said. 

The under-construction building was a 42-storey “harbourside icon” intended to house the historic Mariners’ Club and a new hotel, according to the website of its developer, the Empire Group.

The HK$6 billion (S$1 billion) redevelopment project was green-lit in 2019 and was originally expected to be completed in the first half of 2023, according to local media. AFP