7 Hong Kong towers ablaze: 13 dead in city’s worst high-rise fire in years

The blaze erupted in the afternoon and spread at alarming speed along bamboo scaffolding and construction netting wrapped around the exterior of the housing complex, materials long used in the city’s renovation projects.

Within minutes, flames were shooting out of windows, leaping between the closely packed tower blocks.

Authorities confirmed that nine people were found dead at the scene, while four others died after being rushed to the hospital, Associated Press reported.

At least 15 more were injured. The dead included one firefighter, while another was treated for heat exhaustion as rescue teams struggled to contain the blaze.

Fire Services Director Andy Yeung said the inferno was upgraded to a Level 5 alarm, the highest severity rating, shortly after nightfall, according to AP.

More than 128 fire engines and 57 ambulances were deployed as firefighters battled shifting winds and intense heat that made the rescue operation treacherous.

Video from the scene showed entire facades of the buildings ablaze as ladder trucks sprayed water from above. Police said they received multiple reports of residents trapped in upper floors, many of them believed to be elderly and unable to escape quickly.

Over 700 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters as the fire ripped through the complex, home to nearly 4,800 people across eight residential blocs.

District officials worked through the night to assist families left without homes.

Tai Po, a generally quiet suburban area near the border with Shenzhen, has been shaken by one of its deadliest residential fires in recent years.

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of bamboo scaffolding, still widely used in Hong Kong despite long-standing safety concerns.

The government announced earlier this year that the material would be phased out for public projects, an effort that now carries tragic urgency.

As dawn approached, firefighters were still racing to extinguish the final pockets of flame, and authorities warned that the death toll could rise as searches continued.