13 Dead as Massive Fire Sweeps Through Multiple Towers in Hong Kong High-Rise

Thirteen people were killed in a fire that spread across multiple high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex, the city's fire services said Wednesday, reports AP. Nine people were declared

dead on the scene and four others who were sent to the hospital were later confirmed dead, authorities told reporters. About 700 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters.Police said they received multiple calls from residents trapped inside the affected buildings.The blaze sent flames and thick smoke up the side of the tower, spreading rapidly along bamboo scaffolding that had been installed for construction work in the Tai Po district. Live footage showed firefighters using ladder trucks to spray water onto the burning upper floors.The fire began in the mid-afternoon and was later raised to a No. 4 alarm, Hong Kong’s second-highest alert level, according to the Fire Services Department.Tai Po, located in the New Territories near the border with Shenzhen, is a suburban area with several large housing developments.Bamboo scaffolding remains common at construction sites across Hong Kong, though officials announced earlier this year that the material would gradually be phased out for public projects because of safety concerns.