Hong Kong - A container packed with more than half a million ping pong balls burst into flames in Hong Kong, apparently because of the sweltering heat.

No one was injured in the fire in the New Territories late on Tuesday afternoon, which sent a worker diving for cover and also damaged a truck nearby.

"The blast was probably caused by air expansion inside the ping pong balls," said a police spokesperson on Wednesday.

Hong Kong residents have flocked to the territory's many beaches in recent weeks to escape temperatures which have climbed as high as 34 degrees.

Newspapers said the temperature inside the metal container was far higher. - Reuters