At least 36 people have died and 279 are missing following a fire that swept through skyscrapers with thousands of apartments in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong.

There are 29 injured, seven of them in critical condition.

The fire spread across eight buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex, trapping many residents inside their apartments.

Local media report that the flames have engulfed all eight buildings, and the fire department cannot safely estimate when the blaze will be fully extinguished. The firefighting effort is extremely difficult due to the massive heat load inside the buildings and the bamboo scaffolding.

How the fire spread
Thick, dark smoke rose into the sky Wednesday afternoon as the fire initially spread to four apartment buildings and then to the entire complex. According to police, there were many reports of people trapped inside, and a man and woman were found unconscious with burns.

The fire, initially classified as level 1, was upgraded to level 4 at 3:34 p.m. and reached the highest level 5 at 6:22 p.m., the maximum severity scale used in Hong Kong.

Videos from the scene show flames engulfing the bamboo scaffolding on the exterior of many apartments, while parts of the green protective netting collapsed to the ground in flames.

The firefighting operation involves 128 fire trucks, 57 ambulances, 767 firefighters, and 400 police officers. Meanwhile, over 700 people have been relocated to five reception centers opened by the local Tai Po district office.