In brief
A significant fire erupted in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong, leading to at least four confirmed deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries. The blaze spread rapidly, with concerns that residents may still be trapped inside. The use of bamboo scaffolding in construction is under scrutiny due to safety risks, as officials respond to this tragedy.
At least four people have been killed in a huge fire that has engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.
At least three more are injured, two of whom are in a critical condition, a government statement said. There are fears that some people may still be trapped in the buildings, local media reports.
Footage shows flames and thick clouds of grey smoke billowing from the towers of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Wednesday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but the flames are believed to have spread quickly through bamboo scaffolding that covered the outside of the tower blocks.
The fire department has confirmed that one of the fatalities was a firefighter.
The blaze broke out at 14:51 local time (06:50 GMT) and escalated quickly, reaching a level four alarm shortly after. As night fell, images displayed red flames engulfing at least three tower blocks.
The Hong Kong government stated that nine people were taken to two hospitals for treatment, with four confirmed dead and others in varying conditions.
Wang Fuk Court, a complex with eight tower blocks housing around 4,000 residents, is under renovation at the time of the incident. The scaffolding used is traditional in the region but has raised safety concerns. The Hong Kong government's development bureau is reportedly working to phase out bamboo scaffolding due to these risks.
