Fire at Hong Kong Shopping Center... Dozens Trapped

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] A fire broke out at a shopping center in Hong Kong on the 15th (local time), trapping dozens of people, according to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP).

At 12:37 PM (local time) that day, a fire was reported at the World Trade Center in Causeway Bay, a bustling area of Hong Kong, and a fire alarm level 3 was issued about an hour later.

Hong Kong's fire alarm levels range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most severe.

Inside the World Trade Center, which houses offices and a shopping mall, shoppers and guests who came for lunch were reportedly trapped.

As of 1:30 PM, SCMP reported that firefighters were seen using ladders to rescue people trapped on the lower floors.

A police officer told SCMP that multiple fire emergency calls had been received and that the stairs at the back of the building were filled with smoke. He said about 100 people had evacuated to an outdoor area on the 5th floor of the building, but he believed that dozens were still trapped inside the building's restaurants.

A Hong Kong government spokesperson stated that as of 1 PM, there were no reports of casualties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.