TRAPPED

12 Dead After Massive Fire Tears Through Apartment Block

Flames spread through bamboo scaffolding at the Hong Kong public housing complex.

A massive fire tore through a public housing block in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people and leaving at least 16 others with critical injuries, the South China Morning Post reported. The newspaper said flames spread through bamboo scaffolding covering all eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court, where renovations were underway. The blaze at Wang Fuk Court began shortly after 3 p.m. local time and was upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the city’s highest severity level, within hours. The dead included a male firefighter, three other men, and eight women, the Post reported. Police said rescue efforts were hampered by the presence of the bamboo scaffolding, which caught fire and trapped people inside the burning buildings. Hong Kong has been under a red fire warning since Monday, indicating an extremely high risk of fire, after a spell of dry weather combined with warm winds.