Teams of firefighters are trying to put out the blaze at Wang Fuc Court, a residential complex made up of eight blocks in the city’s Tai Po district.
What do we know about fire?
“Four people have been declared dead, two are in serious condition and one is stable,” AFP news agency quoted a representative of the government’s information services department as saying.
According to local media reports, one of the dead was a firefighter.
The fire department said it received a report of the fire in a residential complex at 2:51 pm (0651 GMT). At 3:34 pm it was upgraded to the number four alarm and as night fell, it was declared a number five-alarm fire, the highest level.
Earlier, local media also reported that an unknown number of people were trapped in the 31-storey towers – which house about 2,000 residential apartments – although it was unclear whether that would remain the case.
Bamboo scaffolding and construction netting has been installed on the exterior of many of the towers currently burning.
Local broadcaster TVB reported that large-scale renovation work was underway at the complex.
Smoke and flames are still coming out from the building complex
Live footage from Reuters news agency showed large plumes of smoke billowing from several buildings and as darkness fell, fires could be seen burning on several floors and apartments in the complex.
“Nearby residents are advised to stay indoors, close their doors and windows and remain calm,” the fire service department said.
Parts of the nearby highway have been closed due to the ongoing fire fighting operation.
Tai Po is a suburban area located in the northern part of Hong Kong, near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
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