"The Fire Services Department handled a total of 28 casualties, nine of whom were certified dead at the scene. Six others were sent to hospital in serious condition, and four of them later died," Chou Wing-yin of the Fire Services Department told a press briefing at around 8:15 p.m. (1215 GMT). According to local media reports, one of the dead was a firefighter. The fire department said it received reports at 2:51 p.m. (0651 GMT) of a fire in the residential complex."
"Earlier, local media also reported that an unknown number of people were trapped in the 31-storey towers home to around 2,000 residential apartments although it is unclear as to whether that remains the case. Taipo District Council member, Lo Hiu-fung, told local broadcaster TVB that most of the residents trapped in the fire were believed to be elderly people, the AP news agency reported, although this has not yet been confirmed by authorities."
A large blaze tore through Wang Fuk Court, an eight-block residential complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, killing at least 13 people and injuring others. Firefighters responded after reports at 02:51 p.m., escalating the incident to a level 5 alarm, the highest severity. Emergency teams treated 28 casualties; nine were certified dead at the scene and four later died in hospital. One of the fatalities was reported to be a firefighter. The 31-storey towers house roughly 2,000 apartments and were undergoing major renovations with bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting that appeared to help the fire spread. Reports indicated an unknown number of residents, possibly many elderly, were trapped during the blaze as smoke and flames billowed from multiple towers.
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