Hong Kong fire: At least four killed as major fire engulfs apartment blocks – BBC News”

Five others were injured, three of them critically, in the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po, the Fire Services Department said.

Hong Kong fire: At least four killed as major fire engulfs apartment blocks – BBC News” Five others were injured, three of them critically, in the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po, the Fire Services Department said.A fire spread across multiple highrise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing four people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.

Video from the scene showed at least five buildings close to each other ablaze, with bright flames and smoke shooting out of many of the apartments’ windows as night fell. 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 of housing and almost 2,000 apartments.

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

Police said they had received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings, but did not provide details.

Lo Hiu-fung, a Taipo District Council member, told local TV station TVB earlier Wednesday that most of the residents trapped in the fire were believed to be elderly people.