At least 36 people have been reported dead after a massive fire tore through several high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district.
Several people remained trapped inside the burning towers, reported The Guardian, citing local news. Around 279 people are unaccountable, while 29 people are admitted to hospital, with seven in critical condition.
Moreover, the fire also left some of the services staff injured, who were trying to put out the flames that engulfed the 31-storey towers.
The fire department shared that they do not have an exact number of people who may still be inside the towers, as firefighters continue to diminish the flames with the help of water and ladder trucks.
The report of the fire breaking out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was received at 2:51 p.m., and it was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second-highest level, at 3:34 p.m.
Hong Kong Fire reaches the highest level
Over 700 firefighters have been deployed to the scenes, as the massive blaze has been classified as a level five, the most serious in Hong Kong.
Wang Fuk Court is a housing complex made up of eight blocks, providing about 2,000 residential units.
Hong Kong's transport department said that due to the fire, an entire section of the Tai Po Road, one of Hong Kong's two main highways, had been closed and buses were being diverted.
