Hundreds of people that were trapped in Hong Kong’s World Trade Centre following a fire on Wednesday, have been rescued, according to media reports.
At least 13 people were taken to the hospital, with some suffering from smoke inhalation.
Police at the scene told reporters that everyone at the 39-story structure in Causeway Bay has been brought to safety by 5pm (09:00 GMT), after more than 300 were trapped earlier on the rooftop of the building, which houses both offices and a shopping centre.
FIRE broke out in #HongKong's shopping center, dozens appear to be trapped inside. More to follow.
A number of people have been transported from the scene. Local media quoted police as saying that at least 4 were hospitalized, several victims suffered from smoke inhalation. pic.twitter.com/6pjBUjSja9
— 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) December 15, 2021
The fire broke out at 12:37 pm local time in an electrical switch room before ripping through the building’s scaffolding.
Police said they had opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Wednesday’s blaze triggered a large response, with firefighters seen using several using emergency ladders to evacuate people.
Earlier, local media had reported that hundreds were stranded on the rooftop of the building waiting to be evacuated. Meanwhile, videos posted online showed dozens of people, including the elderly, waiting at an open-air area on the fifth floor.
The World Trade Centre is a shopping center and office tower complex in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. It is connected via passageway to its neighboring building, “The Excelsior.”
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