At least four dead after fire engulfs residential high-rise buildings in Hong Kong

Frames of scaffolding were seen tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze, while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the complex, according to Reuters witnesses.

Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with a population of about 300,000.

The complex is under the government's subsidised home ownership scheme. It has been occupied since 1983, according to property agency websites.

Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.

The government moved to start phasing out the city’s use of its bamboo scaffolding in March, citing safety. It announced that 50 per cent of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.

The fire department said it received reports at 2:51 pm (0651 GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court. It was upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the highest, at 6:22 pm.

Hong Kong's Transport Department said that due to the fire an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong's two main highways, has been closed and buses are being diverted.

Five people died after a fire broke out in a densely populated residential building in Hong Kong's bustling Kowloon district in April last year.