Several high-rise buildings are on fire in a residential complex in Hong Kong. At least 36 people have died and 279 people are still missing. The first alarm about the fire came in at 3 pm local time. Fire Chief Andy Yeung said there are 888 firefighters on scene. “The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents”. The death toll is expected to rise.
HONG KONG NOVEMBER 26: Several high-rise buildings are on fire in a residential complex in Hong Kong. At least 36 people have died and 279 people are still missing, says Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. The Chief Executive added the government will dedicate all possible resources to the fire department.
“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation,” John Lee told reporters.
The first alarm about the fire came in at 3 pm local time. The powerful fire is said to have started in one of the high-rise buildings and then spread to bamboo scaffolding around the buildings. Hong Kong police tell that they have received several alarms from people trapped in the buildings. Fire service officials said at a press conference that seven of the residential complex’s eight buildings had caught fire, due in part to wind fanning the flames.
Fire Chief Andy Yeung said there are 888 firefighters on scene. Three of the eight buildings in the Wang Fuk complex are under control – Four are still on fire, he said. One building was not impacted.
