The fire that started midafternoon Wednesday had spread across seven of the complex’s eight buildings, and four of the towers were under control by morning, the city’s fire services said. One firefighter was among the 44 people confirmed dead,

The death toll from a massive fire that ripped through multiple high-rise residential blocks in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district has risen to 36, the city's leader John Lee said early on Thursday.

Arrested in Hong Kong, as a High-Rise Fire Leaves at Least 44 Dead and 279 Reported Missing HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades burned through the night, leaving at least 44 people dead and 279 reported missing with rescuers still pulling residents from blazing high-rise apartment buildings into the morning.

At least 36 people are dead and over 250 are unaccounted for after a devastating fire ripped through an high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but it was fanned by green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding - a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years blazed through high-rise apartment buildings into the night Wednesday as the city's leader confirmed at least 36 people, including a firefighter, had died and another 279 people were reported missing.

The fire has engulfed a number of buildings, with flames spreading on bamboo scaffolding.

A fire at an apartment complex in the Tai Po neighborhood may be the most deadly in Hong Kong history. Follow for live updates.