Hong Kong cargo boat fire: false alarms, discomfort and the need for more data – residents recount night of stinking dread

Sham Shui Po district worst hit, with air pollution levels beyond normal mark; officials accused of not releasing enough information and timely advice

But detectors carried by firefighters indicated no toxicity at scene, while expert estimates stench only lasted a short period with minimal health risks

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A smoky West Kowloon on Wednesday night as a fire rages on a boat in the harbour. Photo: Facebook

Published: 7:58pm, 3 Jun 2021Updated: 11:28am, 4 Jun 2021

A strong acrid smell coming from a cargo boat fire in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour swept across the city on Wednesday, sparking panic among some households, with people fearing a blaze had broken out in their buildings.

Sham Shui Po resident Kitty Tong, 67, recounted that the stench – which she likened to the burning of electrical wires – hit her home at around 5pm and prompted her family members to check whether any of their appliances or cables had overheated.

When they looked out into the distance, however, they saw plumes of smoke at sea, prompting them to immediately close the windows, open the door for ventilation, and activate two air purifiers.

“The smoke was very serious at around 7pm,” Tong, a clerk, said. “It blanketed the buildings nearby.”

The blaze broke out in the afternoon on Wednesday and required 15 hours to put out. Photo: Martin Chan

The fumes were coming from a 100-metre-long cargo vessel carrying 3,000 tonnes of metallic waste that caught fire at 5.26pm on Wednesday. More than 180 firefighters spent nearly 15 hours to extinguish the flames by 8.20am the next day.

The Panama-registered cargo vessel – Affluent Ocean – arrived in Hong Kong from Nansha and was then moored at Kellett Anchorage off Stonecutters Island on Monday night. Metallic waste was being loaded onto the vessel from two barges when the fire broke out on Wednesday.

While no casualties were reported, some residents who were still coping on Thursday with the lingering smell and resulting discomfort complained that officials should have released more information and guidelines for affected neighbourhoods.