At least 36 dead and nearly 300 missing as fire engulfs Hong Kong housing complex. Here’s what we know

Apple Daily/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

HONG KONG -- An enormous fire engulfed several tower blocks in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and leaving nearly 300 missing, officials said, with some residents still trapped inside burning buildings.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours, struggling to reach those stuck on the higher floors of buildings in Wang Fuk Court, in the Tai Po neighborhood. The complex is home to more than 4,000 people, a large number of whom are aged 65 are older, according to Hong Kong’s most recent census.

Here’s what we know about the fire so far:

How did the blaze start?

Firefighters first received a call about the fire shortly before 3 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), an official from the Hong Kong Fire Department told journalists ea