HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years blazed through high-rise apartment buildings into the night Wednesday as the city's leader confirmed at least 36 people, including a firefighter, had died and another 279 people were reported missing.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated as the blaze spread across seven of the eight buildings in a housing complex in Tai Po district, a suburb in the New Territories. At least 29 others remained hospitalized. Bright flames and smoke shot out of windows as night fell.

Investigators will be looking into factors including whether material on the exterior walls of high-rise buildings met fire resistance standards, as the rapid spread of the fire was unusual, authorities said.

Officials earlier said the fire started on the external scaffoldin

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