'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Hong Kong authorities on Friday were investigating the cause of a huge blaze that broke out overnight at a construction site in a popular shopping district and forced 170 people in nearby buildings to evacuate.
No deaths or injuries have been reported after the fire erupted at the Mariners' Club redevelopment project in the densely populated Tsim Sha Tsui district at about 11 p.m. Thursday. Multiple floors of the structure -- including scaffolding -- were on fire, and burning debris floated in the air.
The Empire Group's redevelopment plan was to build a 42-storey architectural landmark to house the historic Mariners' Club and a new hotel, the firm's website said.
The fire was largely extinguished by 8:30 a.m., deputy chief fire officer Keung Sai-ming said. Firefighters had battled the blaze for around nine hours.
When firefighters arrived at the scene Thursday night, flames were seen on multiple floors of the building but only temporary firefighting equipment was available, Keung said.
"The building is still under construction, so firefighting equipment commonly found in other buildings is not ready for use yet," he said. "We needed a large number of people to supply water to the very high floors to fight the fire, so we faced many challenges."
The construction materials there, including wooden boards and metal bars, also made it difficult for fire crews to move around, he added.
The site is surrounded by a shopping centre, several hotels and some residential and commercial buildings. Earlier in the night, crowds of onlookers gathered on the street to watch the operation that involved 250 firefighters and paramedics.
"Yesterday night was quite windy. The burning debris was blown towards five buildings by our count," Keung said. "Two of the buildings, namely a hotel and a commercial building, saw part of their balconies catch on fire. Fortunately, our officers on standby quickly extinguished them."
As dawn broke, the fire was less serious than it had been hours earlier, although flames could still be seen on multiple floors. The structure's exterior walls were blackened and parts of its scaffolding appeared shaky.
People staying in three buildings close to the scene had to be evacuated, police said.
One person who stayed in a nearby building was startled and felt sick, and was later sent to a hospital, authorities said. Another resident also felt sick near the scene and went to the hospital, they added.
Tsim Sha Tsui is a tourist and shopping area in Kowloon, and is famous for its skyscrapers and an iconic view of the city's Victoria Harbour.
--------
This story has been updated to reflect that balconies of two buildings were caught on fire, not rooftops.
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
After a final frame that saw the visiting Vancouver Canucks claw their way back and tie the game late, a point shot by Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard with 38 seconds left (until what seemed like certain overtime) iced the 3-2 victory for Edmonton to knot the series.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.