Hong Kong: Thirteen people were killed in a fire that engulfed multiple high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. Nine victims were declared dead at the scene, while four others who were rushed to hospital later succumbed to their injuries, according to the city’s fire services.
Around 700 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters as the blaze raged through the Tai Po district complex in the New Territories. Flames and thick smoke shot up from the buildings, spreading quickly along bamboo scaffolding and construction netting installed on the exterior. Video footage from the scene showed at least five neighbouring buildings ablaze, with bright flames visible from numerous apartment windows as night fell.
Lo Hiu-fung, a member of the Tai Po District Council, told local TV station TVB that most of those trapped in the fire were believed to be elderly residents.
The fire began in the mid-afternoon and, as it intensified after nightfall, authorities raised the alarm to level 5—the highest severity level, according to the Fire Services Department.
Bamboo scaffolding, widely used in Hong Kong for building construction and renovation, has been linked to safety concerns. Earlier this year, the government announced plans to phase it out in public projects.
With PTI inputs