Four killed as fire sweeps through Hong Kong high-rise

NN ONLINE:

A massive fire ripped through a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing four people and leaving several others trapped inside, according to officials.

The Hong Kong government said four people died in the blaze, while three others were taken to hospital. Two of the injured were in critical condition and one was reported to be stable. Local media reported that one of the victims was a firefighter, though officials did not immediately confirm the information.

Police said they received multiple calls from people trapped inside the affected buildings as the fire spread rapidly along bamboo scaffolding installed around the structure for renovation work. Live footage showed flames and thick smoke rising from the building, with firefighters using ladder trucks to pour water on the burning scaffolding.

The Fire Services Department said the fire broke out in the mid-afternoon and was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second-highest alert level in Hong Kong’s fire classification system.

Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, close to the border with Shenzhen in mainland China. Bamboo scaffolding is widely used in Hong Kong for construction and renovation. However, the government announced earlier this year that it would start phasing out the material in public projects due to safety concerns.