An engineer was taken to hospital after a cooling system incident at a Hong Kong data center.

As reported by local press including Hong Kong 01, police, medical, and fire services were called to 8 Wong Chuk Yeung Street in Fo Tan at 10:02 am today (October 14).

Update October 16: SUNeVision has since said it was a "spark" rather than an explosion that injured the worker. The company's latest comment is at the end of this article.

The property is a data center owned by SUNeVision and operated as its Mega Two data center through its iAdvantage unit.

Police received a report that a suspected explosion occurred in the meter room of a data center. A male employee was injured in the arm and taken to Prince of Wales Hospital.

Local data center operator SUNeVision confirmed to Hong Kong 01 that a third-party contractor suffered ‘minor injuries’ in the incident, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation. The company said the incident did not impact data center operations or customer service.

DCD has reached out to SUNeVision for more information.

Update: SUNeVision provided DCD with the following comment:

"During an equipment check at the outdoor site of MEGA Two on 14 October 2024, an accident occurred involving the injury of a contractor's employee. The injured individual was conscious when taken to Prince of Wales Hospital for examination, where it was confirmed that the injuries were minor.

Following the incident, SUNeVision promptly initiated an investigation at the site to ensure the safety of all other employees and partners within the data center. It has been confirmed that this incident has not affected the operations of the data center or customer services. The investigation into the cause and specifics of the accident is ongoing."

According to reports, preliminary investigation suggests there was a sudden voltage problem during repairs to the air-conditioning refrigeration system, resulting in an explosion.

MingPao reports the Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Department responded to the incident. Engineering staff were performing regular maintenance on the central refrigeration system on the first-floor platform of the previous site, and it is suspected that a short circuit occurred in the control box wires during the period, causing a fire.

The case was classified as an industrial accident, with the police and electrical department investigating the cause of the accident.

Launched around 2007, Mega Two totals 429,000 sq ft (39,855 sqm).

China Telecom, Rackspace, and Vantage have previously been present in the building - SuneVision has clarified to us that the mentioned companies are no longer in the building.

SUNeVision Holdings Limited is the technology arm of Sun Hung Kai Properties and the largest data center firm in Hong Kong, with seven data centers in the region including the Mega-i, Mega Gateway, Mega IDC, Mega Plus, and Mega 2. The company also hosts cable landing stations HKIS-1 and HKIS-2.

The company told DCD: "SUNeVision places utmost importance on the safety of its employees and partners, strictly adhering to safety regulations and procedures, and implementing the best safety practices to safeguard all its employees and partners.

SUNeVision expresses regrets over this incident and will extend appropriate assistance to the injured individual with the contractor."

Update: In a subsequent update, SUNeVision said the incident occurred when a contractor staff was conducting routine maintenance on the control panel of a chiller fan located at the outdoor podium of Mega Two on the morning of 14 October.

"A spark occurred at the panel when the licensed electrician was taking readings there. While we are still investigating the root cause, preliminary findings indicate that a short circuit might have occurred during the meter reading."

" We are working with the contractor to start replacing the faulty panel today (16 October) to implement mitigation measures."

The injured person has since been discharged from hospital.