On This DayHundreds rescued as inferno engulfs former luxury liner Queen Elizabeth in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in 1972 — from the SCMP archive
- More than 50 years after the former ocean liner was gutted by fire while being converted into the floating Seawise University, we look at how the Post covered the blaze on January 9, 1972
- Wreck of the vessel in Victoria Harbour was later used as a film location for the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun
By Joe Veiga, TS. Koo, Reggie Rathour, Kenneth Ko, JP Prettejohn, KC Tsang, Leslie Worsfold, TS Yip and Tommy Lewis
Five days before her sea trials and after HK$30 million was spent in refitting her, the 83,000-ton queen of the seas, the Seawise University, was on Sunday [January 9] swept by fire from stem to stern.
Early this morning after the inferno had raged for 12 hours, the aft promenade deck on the port side was reported to have collapsed to the main deck level.
The fire, which began shortly before noon on Sunday, sped through most of the ship’s 11 decks, destroying state rooms, public rooms. kitchens and restaurants.
A huge pall of smoke hung over Hong Kong’s western skyline throughout the afternoon and evening. Late last night, as the blaze held its grip, the ship glowed like a huge lantern.
Firemen say the whole of the port side is becoming red hot and there appeared to be oil on the fire below the main deck.