Wed 15 December 2021:
Hundreds of people are trapped in Hong Kong’s World Trade Centre following a fire on Wednesday, according to media reports.
The South China Morning Post said more than 300 people were trapped on the building’s rooftop, and at least four people have been injured.
It said the fire broke out at 12:37pm local time in an electrical switch room before ripping through the building’s scaffolding.
BREAKING: More than 300 people trapped inside Hong Kong’s World Trade Centre after fire breaks out.#HongKong #HongKongers pic.twitter.com/EkNZ3bY40l
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) December 15, 2021
Citizen News, citing a police officer at the scene, put 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.
The fire is considered a Level 3 incident. Fire severity is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in the city, with 5 being the most severe.
Many stairs in skyscrapers are filled with heavy smoke
According to police, a woman in her 60s is inhaling smoke in a semi-conscious state at the hospital, and the other three are also ill after the fire.
Shoppers and restaurant goers are said to still be in a building that functions as a small office tower.
BREAKING: Hundreds of people are trapped in Hong Kong’s World Trade Centre following a fire on Wednesday, according to media reports.
The SCMP said more than 300 people were trapped on the building’s rooftop, and at least four people have been injured.#HongKongers pic.twitter.com/hUFiY59OQl
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) December 15, 2021
Police officers have been called many times in the fire and the stairs behind the building are filled with heavy smoke.
Fire brigade is trying to rescue people trapped on the roof of an outdoor space
The picture of the scene shows a thick black smoke swirling in the air.
About 100 people have evacuated to the outdoor section on the 5th floor of the building.
According to the latest reports, the total number is unknown due to restaurants and malls, but it is possible that 6 people have been hospitalized and more than 300 have been trapped.
The Hong Kong Free Press said the fire is still ongoing and the alarm level has been raised as firefighters try to rescue several people using emergency ladders.
The website said that 150 people have been evacuated from the 38-storey building in Causeway Bay.
Police have suggested that initial investigations began with flames on scaffolding covering parts of the skyscraper, and smoke spread to the shopping center itself and nearby stairs.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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