A man reacts, as smoke rises while flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Smoke rises as flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Smoke rises as flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Efforts are underway to extinguish flames engulfing bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
A woman walks as fire and smoke engulf the bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

By Tyrone Siu and Joyce Zhou

HONG KONG (Reuters) -Four people have died after a massive fire engulfed multiple high-rise towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district on Wednesday, with thick grey smoke billowing out as emergency services battled to subdue the blaze.

Several people remain trapped inside the burning towers, public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing police, while two people are in critical condition having suffered severe burns, it said.

Some fire services staff have also been injured, while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the 31-storey towers.

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.

The Fire Service Department told Reuters it does not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside.

The fire department said it received reports at 2:51 p.m. (0651 GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. It was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second highest, at 3:34 p.m.

Wang Fuk Court is a housing complex made up of eight blocks, providing close to 2,000 residential units. Several towers have bamboo scaffolding on their exterior.

Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.

Hong Kong's Transport Department said that due to the fire an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong's two main highways, has been closed and buses are being diverted.

(Reporting by Joyce Zhou, Tyrone Siu, Jessie Pang and Anne Marie Roantree; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sharon Singleton)