At a high-rise dwellings complex in Hong Kong on the 26th (local time), a large fire killed at least 13 people. With reports that more people are trapped inside the apartments, the casualty toll is expected to rise.
According to AFP and Reuters, at about 2:52 p.m. that day, a fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court apartment tower in Tai Po in northern Hong Kong. The dwellings complex houses 2,000 households. As of 8:20 p.m., 13 people, including one firefighter deployed to battle the blaze, had died.
The number of injured is estimated at more than a dozen. With reports that residents who failed to escape remain inside the building, the human toll could rise further. The complex where the fire occurred is said to house about 4,800 people in 2,000 households.
Fire authorities said they have not yet determined how many people remain inside the building. Police said they received several reports about people trapped in the affected building.
After the fire report was received, a level-4 fire alert, the second-most severe, was issued, and at about 6:22 p.m. it was raised to the highest level, level 5. Even more than five hours after the fire broke out, it had not been extinguished.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. At the time of the fire, the building had reportedly been undergoing major repairs for more than a year. As the flames spread via the bamboo scaffolding and construction safety netting installed on the exterior wall, a towering pillar of fire shot up, according to reports.