Shek Kip Mei car park petrol smell exposes illegal mobile fuel station
Bastillepost · 4 SOURCESabout 9 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A suspected illegal fuel transfer operation was uncovered at the car park of Shek Kip Mei Estate after Fire Services received a public report of a petrol smell on Wednesday night, 7 October. Officers found a private car containing a large fuel tank with capacity of about 1,000 litres, multiple plastic drums and refuelling tools, and believe the vehicle had been used as a disguised mobile illegal filling point. The Fire Services Department said it is tracing the people involved and warned that petrol vapour can build up inside a private car, where sparks from electrical systems or static electricity could trigger a fire affecting nearby vehicles and homes. On Friday, 9 October, the department held an emergency meeting with the Sham Shui Po District Office, the Housing Department and the district fire safety committee to discuss stronger patrols and the identification of suspicious vehicles, while leaflets were distributed to residents.
Key Points
- Fire Services received a resident's report on Wednesday night, 7 October, that a Shek Kip Mei Estate car park was giving off a petrol smell.
- A search at the scene led officers to a private car carrying a large container capable of storing about 1,000 litres of fuel.
- Officers also found multiple plastic drums and a batch of refuelling tools, leading to suspicion of illegal fuel transfer activity.
- The department said offenders deliberately used a private car as cover to avoid enforcement, despite such vehicles not being designed to transport fuel.
- Authorities said this was another case at a public housing car park after incidents at Fung Tak Estate, Tsz Lok Estate and Ming Tak Estate.
Why It Matters
The case points to a recurring fire risk inside densely populated public housing estates, where a vehicle carrying petrol in an enclosed car park could endanger nearby cars and residential blocks. It also shows that enforcement agencies are shifting from reacting to single reports to coordinated district-level patrols and public awareness work in response to repeated suspected illegal refuelling activity.