HONG KONG - HONG Kong's police said they have arrested a 51-year-old man for starting a fire in a government building on Thursday.

More than 600 people were evacuated from Revenue Tower in Wan Chai after emergency services were told someone had lit flammable liquid on the fourth floor around 9.40am on Thursday.

The fire was doused by the automatic sprinkler system and no casualties were reported, a police spokesman said.

'Initial enquiries revealed that a man had allegedly poured some suspected inflammable liquid at two counters inside the office and he escaped after setting fire to the liquid,' he said.

The man, whom officers believed has burnt himself during his attack, was later arrested in a public hospital, according to broadcaster Cable News. But the reason behind the arson remained unclear.

The suspect would be detained overnight for further enquiries, the spokesman said.

The Inland Revenue Department was forced to suspend many of its services after the fire, including tax collection and business registration.

The last arson attack in the Tower was mounted by a group of right of abode claimants from the mainland. The case led to the death of a senior immigration officer and a protester. -- AFP