A raging fire that sent up a column of flames and thick smoke trapped people in a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, news reports said.
Police said that eight people have been injured, based on initial reports, including three who were unconscious. Hong Kong media said at least some had serious burns.
The fire spread on bamboo scaffolding set up around the exterior of the complex in the city's Tai Po district, the media reports said. Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.
The blaze was reported midafternoon and upgraded to a No. 4 alarm fire, the second highest level of severity, the city's Fire Services Department said.
Police said received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings.
Tai Po is a suburban area in the northern part of Hong Kong in the New Territories and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
