Businesses in Hong Kong’s Central count costs after Chinachem Tower fire
Chinachem Group is ‘deeply concerned’ about the fire and is working with authorities to find out the cause, company spokeswoman says
Small businesses around the Chinachem Tower in Hong Kong’s Central were dealt a blow after the building was engulfed in flames, with some stores remaining shut on Sunday morning as the investigation into the cause of the fire entered its second day.
Some shop operators described the fire as a rarity in the central business district and a source of concern. Saturday’s blaze took more than four hours to put out and enveloped the entire building, which was undergoing renovations.
A government spokesman said on Sunday that the condition of a 23-year-old man who was one of four people injured in the fire had improved from critical to serious at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. The condition of another injured man, 55, had stabilised following his admission to intensive care, he said.
The investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, the spokesman said.
A Chinachem Group spokeswoman said the company was “deeply concerned” about the fire, extended its sympathies to those affected and offered support to tenants.
She said the group was “working closely with the relevant authorities to understand the cause of the incident”.