27 people rescued after fire breaks out on small island near Hong Kong’s Lamma
- Police say 27 people were trapped by flames on Luk Chau at 11.47am on Ching Ming Festival
- It is unclear whether they were observing tradition of paying respects to deceased loved ones by sweeping and burning paper offerings at graves
Hong Kong firefighters rescued 27 people from a hill fire that broke out near Lamma Island on Thursday.
Police said they received multiple reports of the fire on Luk Chau at 11.47am, adding 27 people had been trapped. A fireboat and a helicopter were deployed to help extinguish the flames.
The people who travelled in two groups of 12 and 15 escaped the blaze unhurt and were taken to Lo Tik Wan Pier on Lamma. The force said two fire lines of about 150 metres (492 feet) each had been put out and that the fire services reported no suspicious circumstances.
It is unclear if the two groups were on Luk Chau, off Lamma, to observe the annual tradition of paying respects to their deceased loved ones by sweeping and burning paper offerings at graves for Ching Ming Festival, also known as tomb-sweeping day.
Authorities have reminded the public to be cautious when paying tribute and not to leave burning kindling or paper offerings behind, which is considered an offence under the Forests and Countryside Ordinance.
The yellow fire danger warning – a high fire risk – has been in place since 6am on Thursday.
The Government Flying Service said multiple hill fires broke out across the city on Thursday. In response, it carried out 16 helicopter flights and released 200 water bombs to combat the fires.
Last week, a hill fire in Yuen Long’s Shap Pat Heung that affected overhead electricity pylons was suspected to be the cause of a Hong Kong-wide voltage dip, resulting in 52 reports of people trapped in lifts.
On March 25, a fire broke out on the hills near Shui Chuen O Estate in Sha Tin. The Government Flying Service was reportedly deployed to extinguish the fire.
Another hill near Shek Tong Tsuen in Yuen Long caught fire on March 8. A blaze also occurred near Por Lo Shan in Tuen Mun on January 27.
