A huge fire swept through a Hong Kong typhoon shelter on Sunday, setting at least 10 boats ablaze and injuring five people.
The fire at Shau Kei Wan's Aldrich Bay, which caused huge smoke plumes to billow into the sky, also left two fishing families homeless, according to the South China Morning Post.
BREAKING: At least nine boats caught fire in Hong Kong’s Shau Kei Wan typhoon shelter; 5 injured; Explosions heard — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) Sep 27 2015
Reports say a fishing boat caught fire around 2 p.m. local time Sunday. The fire then burned through the boat's anchor rope, causing it to drift into neighbouring vessels and spread the blaze. Loud explosions could be heard coming from the site.
The burning vessels were just 200 metres from the shore, and some 150 firemen were dispatched to put out the fire. Two men and three women were taken to shore, suffering from minor injuries and were admitted to hospital.
Boat on fire in Shau Kei Wan typhoon shelter. Other boats trying to get out of the way — Alice Woodhouse (@alicemuwu) Sep 27 2015
A fisherman named Chan Ping, sobbing, told the South China Morning Post that his house boat had been completely destroyed. "I did not buy insurance for the house boat. And I may need HK$2 million - HK$3 million (US$258,061 - US$387,091) to buy a new one.