At least 36 people have been killed after a fire engulfed several buildings at a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong, officials have said.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said another 279 people were reported missing. He said 29 people remained in hospital.

About 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the city’s Tai Po district.

Fire chiefs said high temperatures made it challenging for crews to mount rescue operations.

Mr Lee said the fire was “coming under control” shortly after midnight.

The blaze was upgraded to a level 5 alarm, the highest level of severity, as night fell.

The dead included one firefighter, officials said earlier.

A number of firefighters were said to have been hurt while trying to tackle the flames as they ripped through the 31-storey towers.

Records show the Wang Fuk Court site consisted of eight blocks with almost 2,000 apartments housing around 4,800 residents, including many elderly people. It was built in the 1980s and has recently been undergoing a major renovation.

The fire, which broke out at 2.51pm local time, had spread on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting set up around the exterior of the complex.

It was not known how the fire started, but officials said it began at the external scaffolding of one of the buildings before spreading inside and to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.

Firefighters have been seen aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder appliances.

Pictures showed thick grey smoke billowing out from the buildings as emergency services battled to control the blaze.

Flames and smoke were still shooting out of many windows as night fell.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the firefighter who died and extended his sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. he also urged efforts to minimise casualties and losses.

Tai Po is in the northern part of Hong Kong and close to the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

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Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects.

However, the government said earlier this year it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.

It was the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in years, following the deaths of 41 people in a commercial building in Kowloon in November 1996.

A 13-year-old girl has been arrested following the fatal shooting a 16-year-old boy in Los Angeles County, California, police have said.

Officers responded on Sunday about 5pm to a report of a shooting in the city of Pomona.

They found a teenage boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was pronounced dead at the scene after firefighters arrived.

A motive for the crime is as yet unknown, police said.

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Pomona Police Department said in a statement: “Due to the nature of the incident, investigators from the Pomona Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit responded to the scene and initiated an extensive investigation.

“During the course of their investigation, they identified a 13-year-old female as the possible perpetrator. She was taken into custody and transported to Juvenile Hall.”

The victim’s and the suspect’s identities have not been revealed.

The EV4 will sadly not arrive in the US as expected, but Kia said it’s still planning on launching another EV that’s expected to be an even bigger hit.

Kia confirms EV4 delay, says another EV is still US-bound

The EV4, Kia’s first electric sedan, was expected to launch in the US within the next few months, but that will no longer be the case.

Kia has indefinitely delayed the launch of the EV4 in the US due to policy changes under the Trump administration.

The loss of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and added tariffs on Korean imports have forced Kia, like many others, to adjust their US lineup.

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According to Kia America’s marketing boss, Russel Wager, the EV4 is only a small part of the broader tariff-related impacts the Korean automaker is facing. Wager told Car and Driver on the sidelines of the LA Auto Show that the changes will likely impact other vehicles and prices.

When asked for specifics about why the EV4 is being pushed back, Wager said, “Can you give me the answer of when the tariffs are going to be resolved in Mexico, Canada, and Seoul? If you give me that answer, I’ll be as specific as possible.”

While the EV4 is delayed indefinitely, Wager suggested bringing the EV3 to the US, Kia’s compact SUV, is still part of the plan.

The Kia EV3 is already one of the most popular EVs in Europe and the UK’s best-selling retail electric car this year. Given the growing demand for smaller SUVs, the EV3 is expected to be an even bigger hit with US buyers than the EV4.

When it will launch in the US or how much it will cost remains up in the air until Kia gets a better idea of market conditions.

Kia’s EV sales plunged after the federal tax credit expired at the end of September. Sales of the EV6 and EV9 fell by 71% and 66% last month compared to October 2024.

According to Wager, the automaker won’t really know what demand looks like until February or March 2026, since the loss of the $7,500 credit likely pulled buyers forward.

Kia is still ready to launch the EV4 in the US, but that’s only if the tariff situation stabilizes. Earlier this month, the US and South Korea agreed to reduce tariffs on imports from 25% to 15%.

“At that point in time we look at it and say, are we at 25 [percent], are we at 15—and then we can build our business case,” Wager said, adding, “It was originally designed and engineered when the tariffs were zero percent.”

The electric pickup that Kia announced just a few months ago may never make it to the US. Wager pointed to Ford halting F-150 Lightning production and reports that it could be scrapped altogether.

In the meantime, Kia is heavily discounting its current electric vehicles, offering a $10,000 customer cash bonus on every model. Or, you can opt for 0% financing for 72 months plus an extra $2,500 bonus cash. Kia’s sister company, Hyundai, is also offering generous discounts with IONIQ 5 leases starting at just $189 per month.

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