A high-rise building under construction in Hong Kong erupted in flames and was still burning hours later, with some nearby residential blocks evacuated early Friday after the fire threatened to spread. Officials said the fire initially broke out at 11:11 pm (1511 GMT) Thursday in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy shopping and tourist district on the city  harbourfront. It eventually escalated to the fourth level of severity on a five-point scale. No casualties had been reported early Friday, while 130 affected residents had been relocated to a safe distance, police told.

Flames were first spotted near scaffolding at the top of the building, with the blaze clearly visible across the harbour and sending sparks raining down onto neighbouring streets. Around an hour later, the fire had spread down the length of the building and was approaching street level, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered. Japanese tourist Tosho Sai, who was staying in a nearby building, said a security guard told everyone on his floor to leave after a window in the unit next door was hit by embers. A French business traveller passing by the site said he saw lots of debris falling from the tower.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP