Fire engulfs and destroys part of large noise barrier on busy Hong Kong road

A fire engulfed and destroyed part of a 150-metre-long (492 feet) noise barrier on a busy Hong Kong road on Wednesday, paralysing parts of the road for the entire day as authorities rushed to repair and reopen them by early Thursday.

The blaze began at around 11am under a footbridge next to the six-metre-tall structure that covers the westbound lanes of Cheung Pei Shan Road near Shek Kuk House of Shek Wai Kok Estate, before spreading to the barrier.

Fierce flames rapidly engulfed a stretch of the structure measuring about 20 metres long, sending thick black smoke into the sky.

Burning debris fell onto the road, which connects with the Shing Mun Tunnel, forcing approaching vehicles to stop. But videos shared online showed some drivers on the opposite side of the road took the risk to get past before the lanes were blocked off.

The Fire Services Department deployed two water jets and two teams equipped with breathing equipment to tackle the blaze.

They extinguished the flames in about 30 minutes.

The material used for the barrier panels is polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA, which has fire-retardant properties.