More than 300 passengers evacuated from Hong Kong ferry after engine room fire
- Ferry heading to Tung Ping Chau, part of the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark, when it started to emit smoke on Sunday morning
- Rescuers upgrade incident to No 2 alarm after an hour because of large number of people on board ferry
An engine room fire sparked the evacuation of more than 300 ferry passengers on their way to Hong Kong’s easternmost island of Tung Ping Chau on Sunday.
The 28-metre (90-foot) vessel operated by Tsui Wah Ferry departed from Ma Liu Shui pier at about 9am with 318 passengers and two crew on board for a trip to the island, part of the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark.
The ferry started to emit smoke at 10.10am as it sailed between Tap Mun (Grass Island) and Tung Ping Chau, prompting the crew members to call the emergency services.
The Fire Services Department attended the scene and upgraded the incident to an No 2 alarm after an hour because of the large number of people on board.
The department said it believed the fire, which was put out at 1.23pm, was related to a short circuit in the engine room. No injuries were reported.
A passenger said the ferry slowed down suddenly and there was a “bad smell”.