At least 14 killed as fire engulfs Hong Kong towers

A massive fire has ripped through multiple high-rise residential blocks in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district, killing at least 14 people and injuring scores of others as authorities struggled to bring the blaze under control.

Firefighters battled the orange flames into the night as thick black smoke billowed from the 32-storey towers, which were sheathed in bamboo scaffolding - whose use the government began phasing out in March for safety reasons - and green construction mesh. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Fire authorities said they were grappling to get to the towers' upper floors due to the intense heat, and containing the blaze was getting tougher after nightfall.