Cathay Pacific business lounge at Hong Kong airport forced to shut after fire, 250 evacuated

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airway’s business lounge, The Pier, has been forced to close for urgent repairs after a fire broke out on Saturday and triggered an evacuation of more than 250 people.

The airline said the blaze broke out at its supporting facilities on Saturday morning and staff on duty immediately alerted firefighters.

The lounge is the carrier’s largest premium facility at the airport, serving thousands of travellers a day.

Police said they received a report of smoke coming from an electrical meter room at the lounge at 9.55am, with 252 people being evacuated from the scene.

The force noted that 52 were staff, while 200 were passengers. No injury was reported.