VIDEO/PHOTOS: At least 13 people were killed and dozens of others were injured as a massive fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, according to fire officials.
“A fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po at 2.51 p.m. today โฆ The fire was upgraded to No. 3 alarm at 3.02 p.m., and to No. 4 alarm at 3.34 p.m.,” according to a statement from the Hong Kong government. By 6:22 p.m. local time the fire had been upgraded again to a No. 5 alarm, city officials said.
At least 13 people were dead, fire officials said in an update at about 8 p.m. local time. About two hours earlier, city officials had released a statement saying at least four people were dead. Another 28 people were injured, including many who were transferred to two local hospitals, fire officials said. One of the dead had been a firefighter who was called to the scene from nearby Sha Tin Fire Station, according to Andy Yeung, the director of Fire Services.
Yeung in a statement named the firefighter as Ho Wai-ho, 37, adding that he “was found collapsed at the scene” of the fire. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died, Yeung said.
