A devastating fire in several high-rise residential buildings in the Tai Po district of northern Hong Kong has left at least four people, including a firefighter, dead and three others injured. As firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze, thick grey smoke continued to billow from the buildings, spreading rapidly across the area.
The residential complex, known as Wang Fuk Court, consists of eight blocks and more than 1,900 flats.
According to Hong Kong Free Press, two of the three injured individuals are in critical condition, while one is stable. Citing police sources, public broadcaster RTHK reported that several people remain trapped inside the burnt towers, and the condition of two severely burnt individuals remains critical.
Hong Kong–based newspaper South China Morning Post reported that in the afternoon, flames quickly spread through bamboo scaffolding around the Tai Po area, igniting at least three residential blocks.
Several firefighters were injured while trying to bring the blaze under control after it spread through the 31-storey towers. During the incident, many people gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, anxiously watching the thick smoke rising from the buildings. The bamboo scaffolding covering parts of the buildings caught fire rapidly, making the situation even more perilous.
According to eyewitness accounts reported by Reuters, numerous fire engines and ambulances lined the streets beneath the complex as rescue teams attempted to control the blaze from multiple directions.
Videos and photos circulating on social media showed one of the buildings engulfed in flames, with dense smoke billowing into the sky, while firefighters worked relentlessly to contain the fire.
Rescue operations are still ongoing, with efforts focused both on extinguishing the remaining fire and safely evacuating those trapped inside the buildings.
SS