Several people reportedly trapped inside burning towers as firefighters tackle huge blaze in Tai Po district
Four people have died after a massive fire engulfed several high-rise towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, with thick grey smoke billowing out as emergency services tackled the blaze.
Several people remained trapped inside the burning towers, the public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing police, while two people were in a critical condition having suffered severe burns, it said.
Some fire services staff had also been injured while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the 31-storey towers. People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway 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. The fire department told Reuters it did not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside. Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming water at the flames from high up on ladder trucks.
