Hong Kong authorities evacuated about 3,600 people from buildings in the densely populated Kowloon district on Friday as firefighters tried to put out a warehouse fire in the area.
There were no reports of injured or dead, and firefighting teams were able to put out the fire in the evening, five hours after it broke out in an area that is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
The warehouse is owned by China Resources Group, but it was not immediately clear what was inside. The state-owned company, which operates in areas including medical care and manufactures consumer products, did not respond to a request for comment.
A Reuters reporter said the yellow smoke emanating from the facility had a chemical smell.
“We advise those affected by smoke and an unusual smell carried by the wind to close the doors and windows of their homes and remain calm,” the government said in a statement issued while the fire was still burning.
Police told Reuters that the number of people who needed to be evacuated from buildings and boarding schools near the site of the fire was about 3,600. Two people arrived at the hospital for treatment.
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