Hong Kong firefighters have been battling a blaze that engulfed a construction site in the city’s shopping district. Officials said the fire broke out at 11.11pm (1511 GMT) on Thursday in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy shopping and tourist area on the waterfront. No casualties had been reported early on Friday, according to the government. Flames were first spotted near scaffolding at the top of the building, with the blaze visible across the harbour and causing sparks to rain down on neighbouring streets. About an hour later, the fire had spread down the building towards street level, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered. Large debris – apparently from the site – were visible on the ground, and an acrid smell permeated the air, a reporter at the scene said. The building under construction was a 42-storey “harbourside icon” intended to house the famous Mariners’ Club and a hotel, according to the website of its developer, the Empire Group. The HK$6bn (£639m) redevelopment project was approved in 2019 and was expected to be completed in the first half of this year, according to local media. Empire Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.