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At the very least 4 people have died after fire ripped through bamboo scaffolding on high-rise buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.
Video from the scene showed an intense fire, with multiple plumes of smoke reaching into the sky from three skycrapers on the Wang Fuk Court housing estate.
Footage showing burning sections of scaffolding falling to the bottom, while onlookers watched in horror.
Considered one of the dead is reported to be a firefighter, while a minimum of three others have been injured and brought to hospital, two in critical condition.
A resident in her sixties who gave her name as Mrs Poon told the South China Morning Post: ‘When there’s a wildfire, they are going to deploy helicopters and drop water bombs, but why is there no such deployment and the way can they leave other buildings burning?’
She added: ‘The community is so near the hearth station and we thought the hearth may very well be put out soon, but now the hearth has spread. I’m so dissatisfied.’
One other one that lived within the block, who left work early after hearing the news, said: ‘It’s so chaotic. No instructions from the federal government in any respect.’
The blaze was reported within the afternoon and upgraded to the second highest level of severity, town’s Fire Services Department said.
Around 4,000 people continue to exist the estate’s eight blocks, that are reported to have 1,984 flats.
Local time in Hong Kong is eight hours ahead of the UK, and the hearth was still burning at 6pm local time (10am GMT).
More to follow.
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