A hundred people were trapped on the roof of a Hong Kong skyscraper for hours after a major fire broke out downstairs.
Firefighters were able to rescue more than 300 people, including shoppers and staff, who were trapped on the rooftop of the 38-story World Trade Centre tower in Hong Kong after a fire broke out in the building.
13 people were taken from the World Trade Centre to hospitals, but there have been no reported deaths yet, three of those hospitalized were injured while 10 others were suffering from smoke inhalation.
The fire departments scrambled to help those people inside and put out the blazing fire which started early in the afternoon. Firefighters began to save dozens of people crammed into the narrow area on an open-air podium on the fifth floor, who was seen peering over the edge of the stadium.
Police officers said early in the afternoon that over 150 people were still waiting to be rescued and said that the fire started to rip through the 38-story building, which houses both officers and mall, in the bustling commercial and shopping district of Causeway Bay.
Hong Kong’s government said that firefighters were battling the fire with two water jets and had deployed breathing apparatus, rescue workers evacuate people from the site while firefighters also used their extendable ladder to rescue some people who were trapped on the lower floors of the building.
World Trade Centre was a busy shopping center and also a commercial district of Causeway Bay, but questions are now being asked about whether safety procedures were followed on the renovation of the building.
A large dense of smoke was seen blowing out from the said building, photos and videos from those trapped inside showed poor visibility as the smoke-filled rooms and stairways of the building.
James Ng, a construction worker stationed on the third floor of the building, said many escalators and elevators have been disabled during the renovations.
He said: “All the shops on the third floor are boarded up, some escalators only run in one direction while others are not functioning. It’s like a maze inside. You will get lost if you’re not familiar with the place.”
The blaze broke out in an electrical room on the lower floors of the 38-story skyscraper at 12:37 pm Wednesday, before spreading to scaffolding wrapped around the building as the interior filled with smoke.
As of 4 pm local time, fire crews said 1,200 people had been evacuated including hundreds hauled to safety from an open-air area of the fifth floor using cranes. Others managed to run to safety through the building’s smoke-filled lobby and were seen streaming out onto the street.
Authorities said 13 people “felt unwell” and were sent to hospitals. They are currently being treated at one of the following hospitals: Queen Mary Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, and Ruttonjee Hospital.
Hong Kong Fire Services Department’s senior divisional officer says the fire services system had been shut off in the mall area. Authorities said the fire was under control by around 3:06 pm and was largely put out by 4:30 pm.
The fire was upgraded to a level three incident, with five being the most severe. No fatalities have been reported.