Three floors at Princess Margaret Hospital were evacuated on the morning of 16 September after a report of unidentified gas. Emergency services were not affected. The affected area was G Block’s 12th to 14th floors, which were work areas used by the pathology department and did not contain patient services or treatment facilities.
The hospital received the report at about 9am. A staff member on the 13th floor was reported to have noticed what was suspected to be a gas smell, prompting a report to police. The Hospital Authority said employees and visitors working on the affected floors were arranged to leave while the source was investigated.
Police and firefighters attended and searched for the source as the affected floors were cleared. The hospital and the fire service were investigating the report together.
Firefighters initially detected no gas leakage. Ming Pao reported that the incident was classified as a false alarm made in good faith, while the hospital and firefighters continued investigating the source.