Fire Services says Kowloon City Plaza alarm was not fire alert
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Online posts and videos recently alleged that Kowloon City Plaza had ageing facilities, poor maintenance and fire alarms sounding at least three times a week, without fire engines attending. The Fire Services Department said officers inspected the mall on 31 October and found the sound in the circulating video came from the security alarm of a push-bar door locking device, not the fire alarm system. During the inspection, officers carried out functional tests on the fire alarm system, including the visual fire alarm, and found it operating normally. The department also said it had already taken enforcement action after finding some fire service installations and related systems did not comply with the Fire Service (Installations and Equipment) Regulations, and prosecutions have been initiated because the irregularities were not fully rectified after follow-up inspections.
Key Points
- The Fire Services Department said it sent personnel to Kowloon City Plaza on 31 October to conduct an on-site inspection after online claims about repeated alarm sounds.
- Investigators found the alarm heard in the video was from a push-bar door lock security device, rather than the mall’s fire alarm system.
- Officers tested the fire alarm system on site, including the visual fire alarm, and said the system was functioning normally during inspection.
- The department said no fire alarm was triggered at the mall that day, so it did not receive any related emergency call-out.
- Over the past year, the department conducted 22 inspections; although annual inspection was completed in February 2026, later breaches led to warnings, statutory notices and prosecutions.
Why It Matters
For shoppers and tenants, the clarification separates a security-device alarm from an actual fire alarm, which affects how the public interprets repeated warning sounds at a busy mall. The case also shows that even after annual inspection, non-compliant fire service installations can still lead to enforcement and prosecution if problems are not fully corrected.