HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said in the small hours on Thursday that a fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential area in Tai Po of Hong Kong, has been gradually brought under control after firefighters' tireless efforts.

Speaking at a press briefing, Lee said that the death toll from the fire has risen to 36, with 279 people still missing. Twenty-nine remained hospitalized, including seven in critical condition. Lee said he was deeply saddened by the situation.

Lee said that from the outside, three buildings now showed no visible flames, while four others displayed only sporadic fire spots.

Lee stressed that the HKSAR government will mobilize all resources to fully support the rescue operations. He has instructed departments and units to carry out comprehensive work, including extinguishing the fire, rescuing trapped residents, treating the injured, providing assistance and emotional support to families, and conducting a full investigation into the accident.

The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government was notified of the accident at around 2:51 pm local time on Wednesday. Due to the fierce blaze, the department raised the alert to No 5 alarm fire at 6:22 pm local time. Rescue operations were still ongoing.

Wang Fuk Court consists of eight residential buildings, and the fire once spread from one building to seven others.

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority has activated its Major Incident Control Center.