Kathmandu. A fire broke out at the Wang Phuc Court Housing Complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. At least 44 people were killed in the fire.

The fire broke out at 2:51 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

There is no information on the condition of 279 people and search and rescue operations are ongoing. At present, 45 people are undergoing treatment.

The Hong Kong Fire Service Department has declared the incident a “level-five alarm” due to the “high-risk situation”.

A large part of the building was engulfed in smoke and flames. Rescue teams are continuing to search for trapped people, rescue the injured and assess the stability of the building.