Hong Kong World Trade Centre fire traps 150 on shopping centre roof

Smoke billowed from the World Trade Centre in the Causeway Bay district at around noon on Wednesday. Firefighters were battling the blaze with two water jets, the government said.

Broadcaster RTHK quoted police as saying about 100 people moved from a restaurant to the 39th floor when the fire broke out and smoke filled the dining area.

Seven women and a man were among the eight people taken to hospital, one of them semi-conscious, police said.

The cause of the fire remains unclear, though the South China Morning Post reported that it broke out in an electrical switch room. Portions of the building are being renovated, and its lower levels are shrouded in scaffolding.

The fire was raised to a level three alert at around 1pm, out of a ranking system of five levels, with five being the most severe.

Firefighters used an extendable ladder to rescue people trapped in a narrow space at an outdoor area on the fifth floor. Relatives of those trapped soon arrived at the scene. A family member of a woman trapped on a fifth-floor rooftop area told Stand News the situation was chaotic.

This is a developing news story, please check back for updates.