PUBLISHED ONJanuary 13, 2026 4:49 AMBYSean LerA 42-year-old man was taken to the hospital after he was found lying on the footpath beneath his second-floor residential unit in Hong Kong's Kowloon following a suspected explosion.
The incident reportedly happened at about 6.48pm on Monday (Jan 12) evening, at a building along Pak Tai Street in To Kwo Wan.
Videos circulating on social media showed the man lying on the ground barefoot with his arms outstretched. A man wearing a earpiece is seen possibly administering first-aid on him.
Nearby, a crumpled aluminium frame, glass and debris were seen strewn across the two-lane road.
A large hole is seen where the window and its frame used to sit.
@asiaone Preliminary investigations indicate that a gas pipe was being removed from the unit when the alleged explosion happened on Monday (Jan 12) evening. #news #HongKongNews #HongKong #Police #Firefighter #Gas ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK reported that eyewitnesses had heard a "loud bang which sounded like thunder" when the incident happened.
"It was quite scary to me. I needed to have a drink to calm myself down thereafter," one woman told RTHK.
Other eyewitnesses said the man fell onto the middle of the road but was pulled to the pavement by passers-by.
Authorities said the man was conveyed conscious to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, where he was reported to be in critical condition.
Hong Kong news outlet HK01 stated that a gas pipe had been removed from the unit, which could have led to the suspected explosion.
Investigations by police and fire services are ongoing.
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