Hong Kong firefighters receive 120 reports of people stuck in lifts after second voltage dip in week

Hong Kong firefighters received 120 reports of people trapped in lifts and about 30 concerning false fire alarms in Kowloon and the New Territories on Saturday after the area experienced its second voltage dip in a week.

The Fire Services Department said it was conducting rescue operations in response to the voltage dip at 1.31pm.

“Members of the public who are being affected by the incidents are advised to stay calm,” the department said at 2pm.

A similar incident took place last Saturday afternoon when a voltage dip resulted in 52 reports of people stuck in lifts.

CLP Power, which provides electricity to Kowloon, the New Territories and most of the outlying islands, at the time said a preliminary investigation showed a hill fire in Yuen Long’s Shap Pat Heung had affected overhead electricity pylons.

The energy firm on Saturday said its 400,000-volt electric supply system in Tuen Mun recorded a temporary voltage dip at 1.29pm.

“As the electric supply system involved is a high-voltage system, households in different districts may be affected by the voltage dip,” the company said.

“[CLP Power] apologises for the inconvenience caused to customers. Our engineers are investigating the cause of the incident.”

Hong Kong authorities receive 52 reports of people stuck in lifts after voltage dip

The electricity provider said lights could have dimmed or flickered in homes and public buildings during the incident, while fire alarms could also have been triggered and installations sensitive to voltage changes such as lifts might have been suspended.

Building management staff could seek help from qualified lift operators to reactivate the installations, it added.