Kowloon Bay hotpot restaurant gas stove explodes, no injuries reported

On 30 July 2026, a portable butane stove at the Tao Heung hotpot venue in Telford Plaza, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, detonated moments after staff detected a gas leak. Firefighters arrived to find no smoke or fire and confirmed that nobody was hurt. Photographs showed the damaged stove and shattered gas canister, while the brand and model of the equipment remain unidentified.

The blast revives safety concerns about cassette‑style LPG stoves in Hong Kong. A similar explosion in 2023 at the 616 Hotpot branch in Wan Chai injured three diners and was traced to overheating of parallel‑used canisters lacking the required “GU” safety approval mark. Authorities have previously noted that such stoves are often manufactured in mainland China and may not meet local safety standards.