Power Cable Fire Plunges NT West Into Darkness

New Territories West was hit by a massive power outage on Tuesday after a fire broke out on a CLP power cable bridge at Kwong Yip Street in Yuen Long at 7.12pm, trapping people in lifts and disrupting hospital and train services.

People in the Yuen Long area reported hearing multiple explosions. Video of the bridge show it bursting into flames and burning fiercely. It later collapsed.

Commuters at Long Ping MTR station are said to have reported the fire to police shortly after it broke out as thick smoke rose into the night sky and street lights started to go out.

The Fire Services Department was quickly on the scene and urged members of the public to avoid taking lifts.

It said it had received dozens of reports about people trapped in lifts.

An RTHK reporter was caught up in the black out.

"The entire residential complex that I live in has run out of power and also I realised that buildings around me in Yuen Long south were also cut off. People were quite panicky because nobody has any idea what's going on," she said.

"As I drove out of Yuen Long, I realised that all the traffic lights and road lights have also been switched off so traffic was pretty chaotic as well."

MTR services between Tsuen Wan West and Tuen Mun stations were briefly disrupted, and Tin Shui Wai Station was temporarily closed.

The Hospital Authority said services at Tuen Mun Hospital, Pok Oi Hospital, and Tin Shui Wai Hospital had been affected, as the power supply was unstable. It said some patients might have to be transferred to other hospitals.

In a statement CLP said it's carrying out emergency repairs and apologised for the black out. It said no one had been injured.

The power company said electricity would be restored first to hospitals and railways.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said its sports facilities and swimming pools in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai had been closed early due to the power failure.