At least 13 dead after fire engulfs residential high-rise buildings in Hong Kong

At least 13 people died and dozens were feared trapped on Wednesday after a large fire engulfed high-rise towers in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.

Firefighters battled the blaze into the night, with thick black smoke rising from the 31-storey towers and orange flames lighting up the night sky.

The Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the fire started, is home to 2,000 residential apartments. The Fire Services Department told Reuters it did not yet have a figure of the number of people who may still be inside the buildings.

A firefighter was among the 13 killed, the director of Fire Services said, and more than ten people were injured.

Crowds gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay and taking pictures as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding. Some residents said on social media the units had been under renovation for about a year.

A man claiming his wife is trapped inside cries as flames engulf several buildings at a housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong. Reuters Thick smoke and flames rise from the residential estate. AFP A firefighter was among several people killed in the blaze, authorities said. AP There are nearly 2,000 units in the housing complex, according to the Hong Kong Housing Authority. AP The district is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. AFP

Videos showed burning lengths of bamboo scaffolding tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze, while fire engines and am