The death toll from a massive fire at high-rise towers in Hong Kong has risen to 13.
At least four people had initially been reported dead with others trapped after the blaze engulfed multiple towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, the government and Fire Services Department have said.
Firefighters continued to battle the blaze as dusk fell, with thick black smoke billowing from the 31-storey towers, home to 2,000 residential apartments.
Several people remain were trapped inside the burning towers, public broadcaster RTHK initially reported, citing police.
Some fire services staff have also been injured, while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the towers.
People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding.
Scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the complex, according to witnesses.
Smoke can be seen rising over the Hong Kong skyline as the fire engulfs the residential complex
The Fire Service Department initially said it does not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside.
The fire department said it received reports at 2.51pm local time (6.51am Irish time) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
It was upgraded to a number 4 alarm, the second highest, at 3.34pm.
The fire broke out in Wang Fuk Court, one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with a population of about 300,000.
Local television broadcaster TVB said the complex was undergoing major renovations. Wang Fuk Court is a complex under the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme.
It has been occupied since 1983, according to the property’s website.
Several towers have bamboo scaffolding on their exterior.
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.
Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that due to the fire an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong’s two main highways, has been closed and buses are being diverted.