Video footage, geolocated by BBC Verify, documents the initial stages of a fire within a high-rise public housing complex in Hong Kong. The footage shows a fire originating in Wang Cheong House, a location corroborated by Derek Armstrong Chan, Deputy Director of Hong Kong Fire Services.
An individual who posted the video on social media reported hearing banging sounds before observing the fire at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT). Fire services personnel reportedly arrived six minutes later, by which point the fire had escalated and spread to the fourth floor of the structure.
The blaze subsequently extended across seven tower blocks situated in the Tai Po district. Current figures indicate 55 fatalities and nearly 300 individuals reported missing as a result of the incident.