Huge fire rips through Hong Kong apartment building killing four – latest

1. Asia
2. China

Live feed from scene shows firefighters dousing fierce flames at Tai Po high-rise complex

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At least four people have died after a fire broke out across three blocks of a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday.

Police said they have received multiple reports of people trapped inside homes in the Wang Fuk Court complex, located in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district.

Firefighters are battling to contain the fierce fire amid plumes of thick smoke. Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming jets of water at the flames from ladder on firefighting trucks. At least one firefighter is reported to be among those killed.

Wang Fuk Court is a 2,000-unit residential complex made up of eight blocks in total.

The blaze erupted at 2.51pm local time and has been upgraded to a No 4 alarm fire, the second highest level of severity, the Fire Services Department said.

At least seven people were taken to two hospitals for treatment, the Hong Kong government said.

It said that out of these, “four persons were certified dead, two persons are in critical condition and one person is in stable condition”.

Pictures show huge column of fire and smoke emanating from the high rise building

People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in shock and dismay as smoke poured from the buildings.

Dozens of fire engines and ambulances lined the road beneath the complex.

Fire spread through bamboo scaffolding

The fire is thought to have spread via the bamboo scaffolding on the buildings’ exterior. Bamboo is widely used as a strong and relatively cheap material for scaffolding across the city.

People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay as smoke poured from the buildings. Dozens of fire engines and ambulances lined the road beneath the complex.

The Fire Services Department told Reuters it does not yet know how many people may still be inside.

At least four dead in Hong Kong high rise fire

At least four people have died after a fire broke out across three blocks of a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday.

Police said they have received multiple reports of people trapped inside homes in the Wang Fuk Court complex, located in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district.

Firefighters are battling to contain the fierce fire amid plumes of thick smoke. Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming jets of water at the flames from ladder on firefighting trucks. At least one firefighter is reported to be among those killed.

Wang Fuk Court is a 2,000-unit residential complex made up of eight blocks in total.

The blaze erupted at 2.51pm local time and has been upgraded to a No 4 alarm fire, the second highest level of severity, the Fire Services Department said.

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