Fire rages through bamboo scaffolding at Hong Kong high-rise residential complex, killing 4

HONG KONG (AP) — A fire ravaged a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing four people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.

The Hong Kong government reported four deaths and said three other people were hospitalized. Two of the injured were in critical condition and the other person was stable, a brief statement said.

Hong Kong media said that one of the deceased was a firefighter, but that could not be immediately confirmed.

Police said they had received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings.

The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread on bamboo scaffolding that had been set up around the exterior of the complex in the city’s Tai Po district. Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.

The blaze was reported mid afternoon and upgraded to a No. 4 alarm fire, the second highest level of severity, the Fire Services Department said.

Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, in the northern part of Hong Kong and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.