1st LD Writethru: No. 5 alarm fire breaks out in Hong Kong, kills 4

HONG KONG, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at a residential building in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, leaving four people dead, according to a press release issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government was notified of the incident at around 2:51 p.m. local time.

Due to the fierce blaze, the department raised the alert to a No. 5 alarm fire at 6:22 p.m., which is the highest level in Hong Kong's fire alarm system.

The scaffolding outside the building was engulfed in flames. As of 5 p.m., seven people felt unwell and were sent to the hospitals for treatment, among whom four people were confirmed dead, two people were in critical condition, and one person was in stable condition. Enditem