HONG KONG — A catastrophic fire ripped through seven high-rise apartment blocks in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing 36 people and leaving 279 missing in one of the city’s worst residential disasters in decades. More than 700 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters as firefighters fought through intense heat, collapsing scaffolding, and thick smoke to contain the fast-moving blaze.

The fire ignited in the afternoon and spread rapidly across the residential complex, fuelled by bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that wrapped the buildings for ongoing renovation work. As night fell, flames burst from dozens of windows, and smoke columns towered over the skyline. Several neighboring blocks were also reported to be burning as the situation escalated.

Chief Executive John Lee confirmed the rising death toll late Wednesday, noting that 29 survivors remain hospitalized, some with critical injuries. He added that the fire was “coming under control” shortly after midnight, though search-and-rescue teams continued combing the charred structures for missing residents.

Fire commanders said extremely high temperatures and compromised building exteriors made rescue operations “exceptionally difficult.” The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.

The severely affected complex consists of eight towers, nearly 2,000 apartments, and home to an estimated 4,800 residents, including many elderly occupants who required assisted evacuation.

As emergency crews worked through the night, authorities urged the public to avoid the area and brace for updates as the full scale of the tragedy becomes clear.