HONG KONG (Reuters) -A fire engulfed multiple high-rise towers of a residential housing complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district on Wednesday, with plumes of thick grey smoke billowing out as emergency services battled to subdue the blaze.
Several people are trapped inside, public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing police, while two people have suffered severe burns, it said. Some fire services staff have also been injured, while trying to put out the massive flames.
The fire department said it received reports at 2:51 p.m. (0651 GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. It was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second highest, at 3:34 p.m.
Wang Fuk Court is a housing complex made up of eight blocks, providing close to 2,000 residential units. Several towers around the blazing tower have bamboo scaffolding on their exterior.
Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that due to the fire an entire section of the Tai Po highway has been closed and buses are being diverted.
(Reporting by Joyce Zhou, Tyrone Siu and Jessie Pang; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sharon Singleton)
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