Tragedy Strikes Hong Kong: High-Rise Fire Leaves Multiple Casualties

A massive fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has claimed at least four lives and left others trapped in high-rise residential towers. Firefighters are battling the blaze amidst billowing smoke. Several people, including fire services staff, have been injured, and the exact number of trapped occupants remains unknown.

A devastating fire swept through a residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, resulting in at least four fatalities and trapping others within the high-rise towers, according to official sources.

Despite dusk setting in, firefighters persist in combating the inferno, which has engulfed the 31-storey buildings, home to approximately 2,000 residents. The extent of the trapped individuals remains undetermined, and two people are critically injured with severe burns, as per government reports.

Residents watched helplessly as thick smoke billowed from the towers, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding, a traditional construction method in Hong Kong. The blaze, reported at 2:51 p.m. local time, was quickly escalated to a No. 4 alarm level. The fire has also disrupted transport, with road closures impacting major highways.

(With inputs from agencies.)