Fire engulfs Hong Kong apartment buildings, killing at least 13
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The news: A major fire has engulfed a high-rise complex Hong Kong, killing at least 13 people and injuring 16.
The context: As of 8:40pm local time (11:40pm AEDT) on Wednesday evening, Hong Kong authorities did not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside the buildings. The fire has been classified at alert level 5, the most severe category.
The fire department said it received reports that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court at 2:50pm local time, the fire was upgraded to the second-highest alarm level at 3:34pm.
Records seen by AP showed the complex was home to some 4,800 residents, and around 700 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters.
The Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the fire started, is home to 2,000 residential apartments according to the Hong Kong Housing Authority.
The complex is in the Tai Po district in the New Territories near the border with mainland China and some of the buildings are clad in bamboo scaffolding.
The sources: Associated Press, Bloomberg, Reuters
