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A devastating fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Tuesday, resulting in at least 36 fatalities and injuring dozens more. The blaze, which broke out in the morning, has become one of the city's deadliest fires in decades, prompting a large-scale emergency response.
The fire is believed to have started in the lower part of the interconnected high-rise buildings before spreading rapidly. Thick, black smoke was seen billowing from the complex for hours, trapping many residents inside their homes. Eyewitnesses reported harrowing scenes of people waving from windows, desperately signaling for help. The incident's severity prompted the fire department to escalate the situation to a "No. 4 alarm," the city's second-highest level, deploying hundreds of firefighters and dozens of ambulances to the scene.
Emergency crews launched a complex rescue operation, battling the intense flames to evacuate residents. Officials confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing throughout the day, with firefighters searching the building floor by floor. The death toll tragically climbed as the day progressed, with updated casualty figures confirming at least 36 dead by the evening. The injured have been transported to multiple hospitals across the city, some in critical condition.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families and has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the disaster. As of now, the origin of the fire remains unknown. The incident has raised serious questions about fire safety standards in the city's older and densely populated residential blocks, a recurring issue that has been a concern in previous fatal incidents. Live news coverage throughout the day captured the chaotic scenes as rescue operations unfolded, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.
