BUILDINGS SURROUNDED BY SMOKE AND FLAMES
One resident surnamed Wong, 71, broke down in tears and sobbed, saying his wife was trapped inside one of the buildings.
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived at Block Two in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard “a very loud noise at around 2.45pm” and saw a fire erupt in a nearby block.
“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” he said.
“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.”
People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding. Scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the complex, according to Reuters witnesses.
Tai Po is an established suburban district in Hong Kong’s New Territories, near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, with a population of about 300,000.
Source: CNA
