At least 36 people have been killed in a huge fire that has engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.
There are reports that some residents were trapped in the building, and police say 279 people are still missing.
More than 760 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze on Wednesday afternoon, with pictures showing flames and thick clouds of grey smoke billowing from the towers, dominating the city’s skyline.
The cause is unknown, but the flames are believed to have spread quickly through the bamboo scaffolding that covered the outside of the buildings, which were undergoing renovations.
The blaze broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) and wasclassified as a level five – the highest in severity – by the fire department at 18:22.
Fire service officials said earlier that nine people died at the scene, while a further four died later in hospital.
Among those killed was firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37. He was found collapsed at the scene about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.
The fierce heat of the blaze, as well as dangerous debris hampered rescue efforts.
“The temperature inside the buildings concerned are very high, so it’s quite difficult for us to enter… and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operation,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of fire services.
With the fire still burning late into the night, he added that they were unsure when the flames would be fully extinguished.
Built in 1983, Wang Fuk Court is made up of eight tower blocks that provide 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census. Seven of the towers have been affected by the fire.
Some residents have told local media that the fire alarms did not sound, and when the elevators stopped working, they struggled to get out. A local councillor said many of the people who lived at Wang Fuk Court are elderly.
There have been reports of blasts heard from inside the buildings, and fire hoses are struggling to reach the upper levels of the 31-storey towers.
Police have also evacuated nearby buildings, and several temporary shelters have been opened. One of the shelters, located over the road from the housing complex, was deemed unsafe as the fire continued to rage, and evacuees were directed to another shelter further away.
There is a large evacuation zone around the fire, roads are closed and more than 30 bus routes have been diverted, Hong Kong’s Transport Department says.
The use of bamboo scaffolding is common in Hong Kong, which is erected by tying bamboo poles together with nylon fasteners. It is lightweight and strong, and has been used as a construction tool for centuries, however Hong Kong is one of the last cities in the world to still use it in modern construction.
According to local media reports in March, the government’s development bureau has been trying to phase it out, in favour of metal scaffolding, due to safety concerns.
It has been 17 years since Hong Kong faced a level five fire, when a building constructed in 1962, Cornwall Court, burnt down. Four people were killed in that fire.
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