Police arrived on site immediately after restaurant blast

The acting commander of the Public Security Police (PSP), Wong Chi said that the police arrived on site immediately after the blast on Tuesday night at the Pak Lei Building in the Areia Preta district. The explosion is thought to have been caused by a cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). 

The police ensured that affected buildings and streets were cleared of debris by 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, so that people in the neighborhood could resume their daily routine.

A total of three people remain hospitalized. One of the victims is being treated for burns in the intensive care unit. To avoid infecting the individual, Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On did not have direct contact with the victim when he visited the hospital on Wednesday.

The CE also wrote a letter to the loved ones of a woman who died in the incident to express his condolences.

Immediately after the visit, the CE convened an interdepartmental meeting at government headquarters to receive detailed reports on the incident from the Secretaries and departments.

Aside from determining the cause of the incident, the meeting focused on steps to take in the aftermath of the incident, as well as preventive measures to be put in place.

Chui said that the government and the public were deeply concerned about the incident as well as the resulting fatalities and injuries. 

The Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau is restoring some of the affected parts of the building. However, owners and tenants remain concerned over who is going to pay for the remaining works. Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said yesterday that witnesses are still being heard and their testimony will be useful to assess if negligent behavior lead to the blast.