A devastating fire tore through several high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district on Wednesday, leaving 13 people dead and prompting a large-scale emergency response.
According to public broadcaster RTHK, multiple residents remained trapped inside the burning buildings as thick grey smoke poured from the towers. Police told the outlet that two people were in critical condition after sustaining severe burns. Several firefighters were also injured while fighting the blaze, which engulfed portions of the 31-storey structures.

Crowds gathered on a nearby pedestrian overpass, watching in shock as smoke surged from buildings partially covered in bamboo scaffolding. Dozens of fire engines and ambulances filled the streets surrounding the complex, witnesses told Reuters.

The Fire Services Department said the initial report of a fire at Wang Fuk Court was received at 2:51 p.m. (0651 GMT). The alarm was raised to No. 4—Hong Kong’s second-highest emergency level—at 3:34 p.m. Officials said they do not yet know how many people may still be inside.

Wang Fuk Court comprises eight residential blocks with nearly 2,000 units. Several of the towers were undergoing work, as indicated by the bamboo scaffolding—an iconic and still widely used construction feature in Hong Kong.

The city’s Transport Department announced that a major stretch of Tai Po Road, one of Hong Kong’s two main highways, was closed because of the fire, forcing bus routes to be diverted.

Source: Reuters, ‍South China Morning Post