Fire rages in Hong Kong, high-rise, 13 killed

A fire ravaged a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing 13 people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said. The Hong Kong Government reported four deaths and said three other people were hospitalised. Two of the injured were in critical condition and the other person was stable, a brief statement said. Hong Kong media said that one of the deceased was a firefighter, but that could not be immediately confirmed. Police said they had received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings. The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread on bamboo scaffolding that had been set up around the exterior of the complex in the city’s Tai Po district.