Hong Kong ‘lives at risk’ from delays caused by protesters’ arson and obstruction of firefighters, emergency officials say
- Fire Services Department appeals for an end to setting fires, disrupting services, blocking roads and intercepting fire trucks
- Officials say on some days of mass protest the average delay in response time had reached 20 minutes
Hong Kong fire officials have warned the city’s protesters that arson and obstructing firefighters puts lives at risk, noting that as many as half of the fire calls on protest days were not reached within the target time of six minutes.
The Hong Kong Fire Services Department on Thursday appealed for an end to setting fires, disrupting services, blocking roads and intercepting fire trucks. On some days of mass protests, officials said, the average delay in response time had reached 20 minutes.
In Kowloon over the first 23 days of October, the number of times ambulances failed to reach a scene within 12 minutes increased by more than 60 per cent compared to the same period last year, from 1,009 to 1,657.
“We do not want to see even one call where the patient loses out on treatment time due to delays,” said Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer Tsang Man-ha. “This is someone’s life at stake. We never know how serious the condition of the patient could be.”
Fires have increasingly been set at MTR stations and mainland-linked shops in the continuing anti-government protest crisis.