Hundreds rescued from Hong Kong high-rise blaze

HONG KONG — Firefighters on Wednesday rescued hundreds of people who fled to the rooftop of a Hong Kong skyscraper and became trapped there after a major fire broke out. Hours later, the fire service said the blaze was extinguished.

In addition to those on the roof, dozens jammed into narrow areas in an open-air area on the fifth floor, peering over the edge as they awaited rescue. Firefighters used an extendable ladder to reach them.

In all, firefighters brought 770 people out of the building, said Ng Yau Sheung, the Fire Services Department’s senior divisional officer. Another 40 people left on their own, he said.

At least 13 people were sent to the hospital, according to authorities. Three were injured and 10 suffered from smoke inhalation.

The fire started in the early afternoon at the World Trade Centre on Gloucester Road in the city’s popular Causeway Bay shopping district, according to a government notice. The 38-story tower houses offices and a mall.

Dense smoke was seen billowing out of the building, and photos and videos from those trapped inside showed poor visibility as smoke filled restaurants and stairways.

Authorities said the fire spread from the building’s bottom two floors, which are occupied by a mall undergoing extensive renovations.

The fire services system had been shut off in the mall area, said fire department officer Ng.

“If the system is under repair, it’s possible that the contractor will shut down the area affected,” he said during a news conference Wednesday evening.

Authorities said they were still looking into whether fire safety regulations had been breached.

Preliminary investigations by the police suggested the fire had broken out in the electrical switch room on the first floor of the shopping mall, before spreading to the scaffolding that surrounded part of the building, according to the local newspaper South China Morning Post.

Authorities said the fire was under control by 3:06 p.m. and was largely put out by 4:30 p.m.

The fire services department deployed 176 firefighters. Two breathing apparatus teams and two water jets were mobilized to help fight the blaze, police said.