Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park: fire evacuation drill among tests involving 12,000 people

Hong Kong’s soon-to-open Kai Tak Sports Park hosted an emergency fire evacuation drill on Sunday as part of a four-hour stress test involving 12,000 people, who left the area using specially arranged trains, buses and taxis.

Operations at the park’s 5,000-seat outdoor Youth Sports Ground and 10,000-seat indoor Kai Tak Arena were under the spotlight for the series of drills which were also attended by the city’s new transport and sports ministers.

In the fire drill, police officers, firefighters and staff members helped evacuate 5,000 people through three exits at the Youth Sports Ground.

“The operational deployment has achieved our expected goals,” said Wong Man-yan, police divisional commander for central Kowloon.

“Next, we will integrate the results of the entire operational deployment and review the Fire Services Department’s contingency plans and feasibility of action plans for other areas within the sports venues.”

Among the participants at the youth ground, 1,200 people walked about 10 minutes to pickup and drop-off points for bus routes and taxis. More than 12 buses and 15 taxis were available.