31st July 2026 – (Hong Kong) An evening hotpot meal at a Tao Heung restaurant in Kowloon Bay took a dramatic turn on 30th July when a portable butane stove reportedly exploded moments after staff noticed a suspected gas leak.
According to a social media post shared that night, a member of staff appeared to detect the sound of leaking gas from a tabletop cassette-style LPG stove while diners were enjoying their meal. As another employee was being called over to assist, the stove suddenly detonated. The diner who recounted the incident described the blast as so loud that it felt as though “war had broken out”, adding that a strong burning smell quickly filled the restaurant.
The incident occurred at the Tao Heung branch in Telford Plaza. Emergency services were alerted at around 10pm, but when firefighters arrived there was no visible smoke or active flames. No injuries were reported.
Photographs circulating online show a yin-yang hotpot still sitting atop the damaged stove. The gas canister compartment appeared shattered, with the protective casing blown off. A nearby canister was left with only its main body intact, while the upper section was missing. The tabletop was left in disarray. The brand of the stove and gas canister involved has yet to be confirmed.
The episode has drawn renewed attention to safety concerns surrounding portable butane stoves, following a serious explosion in 2023 at a 616 Hotpot branch in Wan Chai. In that case, two cassette gas stoves being used side by side exploded violently, tearing open the canisters and sending stove components flying. Three diners, including a young couple and a middle-aged woman, were injured and required hospital treatment.
A subsequent investigation by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department concluded that the 2023 incident was likely caused by overheating of the gas canisters due to improper parallel use of the stoves. It was also revealed that the appliances involved did not carry the required “GU” safety approval mark for use in Hong Kong and were reportedly manufactured in mainland China.