Dozens killed as fire engulfs Hong Kong high-rise residential blocks • FRANCE 24 English

The scenes are harrowing and residents are in despair. Firefighters are slowly taming the flames. The images from earlier on Wednesday showed seven blocks of flats ablaze as bamboo scaffolding covering them caught fire. Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, said that he would provide all possible support to those affected in the Taipo district. I take this incident with the utmost seriousness. I’ve instructed all government departments and units to make every effort on multiple fronts. Our top priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the trapped residents. The second is to treat the injured and the third is to provide follow-up support. Afterwards, we will conduct a thorough investigation. Over 800 firefighters and rescue personnel together with 140 fire engines and 60 ambulances have been mobilized. 900 people are currently in shelters. And while windy weather conditions are thought to have played a role in the spread of the fire, authorities say that they’ll be looking into whether material on the exterior of the high-rise buildings met fire standards. As the fire’s advance, they say, was particularly unusual. Residents were caught by surprise. Around 2:45 p.m., I suddenly heard a very loud noise. I looked outside and saw that over by block 5, there was a fire. I immediately packed up my things. Of course, I’m not feeling good seeing so many blocks on fire, some of them burning all the way inside people’s homes. How could anyone feel okay? Records show that the housing complex consisted of almost 2,000 flats, housing about 4 and a half thousand residents, including many elderly people.

At least 36 people died and an unknown number were trapped Wednesday after a massive fire spread across multiple high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, the city’s fire services said, adding that a 37-year-old firefighter was among the dead.
#HongKong #HongKongFire

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