Hundreds of people are trapped on the roof of a skyscraper in Hong Kong following a fire according to media reports.
Wednesday’s blaze at the 38-story World Trade Centre in Causeway Bay triggered a large response, with firefighters trying to rescue several using emergency ladders. Dozens of people have already been evacuated.
The South China Morning Post newspaper (SCMP) said more than 300 people were trapped on the building’s rooftop, and at least 12 people – including a woman in her 60s – suffered from smoke inhalation.
Four of them were hospitalized, SCMP added.
Firefighters received reports about the blaze at the World Trade Center around 12 pm, according to Commercial Radio. The fire, which was raised to the no. 3 alarm by 1 pm, is believed to have broken out on the building’s first floor where renovations are going on. pic.twitter.com/NWqNNM6ZRd
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) December 15, 2021
It said the fire broke out at 12:37 pm local time (04:37 GMT) in an electrical switch room before ripping through the scaffolding of the building, which houses both offices and a shopping center.
Citizen News, citing a police officer at the scene, but the number of people trapped on the rooftop at 350 and said another 100 people were waiting to be rescued on a platform on the fifth floor of the building.
As of 3:06 pm local time, authorities said the fire was under control. The fire was upgraded to a level three incident, according to police notice. Fires are graded on a scale of one to five, with five being the most severe.
Firefighters have mobilized two breathing apparatus teams and two water jets to help fight the fire, police said.
A firefighter rescues people trapped by a fire that broke out at the World Trade Centre in Hong Kong, China December 15, 2021.
