13 dead as fire rages through Hong Kong high-rise residential complex

A fire spread across multiple high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing 13 people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.

Video from the scene showed at least five buildings close to each other ablaze, with flames coming out of many of the apartments’ windows. Firefighters were aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.

The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the complex in the city’s Tai Po district. Records show the housing complex consisted of eight blocks housing almost 2,000 apartments.

Nine people were declared dead at the scene and four others who were taken to hospital were later confirmed dead, authorities said.

Police said they had received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings.

The dead included one firefighter and another was being treated for heat exhaustion, Fire Services Department director Andy Yeung said.

The blaze was reported mid afternoon and upgraded to the second highest level of severity, the Department said.

Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, in the northern part of Hong Kong and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.