President Xi Jinping expressed condolences on Wednesday for the victims of a major fire at a residential area in the Tai Po area of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for the firefighter who died in the line of duty.

习近平主席周三对香港特别行政区大埔区一住宅区发生重大火灾的遇难者表示哀悼，并对在执行任务中殉职的消防员表示哀悼。

Xi extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for all-out efforts to put out the blaze and minimize the casualties and losses.

习近平向遇难者家属和受灾群众表示慰问，要求全力以赴扑灭火灾努力把火灾伤亡损失降到最低。

The huge blaze engulfed several residential buildings in a housing estate in Tai Po, New Territories, on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in significant casualties.

周三下午，新界大埔一处住宅区发生大规模火灾，数栋住宅楼被大火吞噬，造成重大人员伤亡。

Following the incident, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, promptly learned of the information about the fire rescue efforts and the casualties.

事发后，中共中央总书记、中央军委主席习近平第一时间获悉了火灾救援工作及人员伤亡情况。

He urged the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR to support the SAR government in making every effort to put out the fire, carry out search and rescue operations, treat the injured, and provide post-disaster support.

他敦促中共中央港澳工作办公室和中央人民政府驻香港特别行政区联络办公室支持特区政府全力灭火、开展搜救、救治伤员并提供灾后援助。

He also demanded that relevant departments and localities provide necessary assistance to the SAR government to strive to minimize the casualties and losses.

他还要求有关部门和地方向特区政府提供必要协助，努力将人员伤亡和损失降到最低。

The SAR government activated its emergency rescue mechanism, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR has established an emergency task force to maintain close communication with the SAR government and fully support the rescue efforts.

香港特别行政区政府启动了紧急救援机制，中央人民政府驻香港特别行政区联络办公室已成立应急工作组，与特区政府保持密切沟通，全力支持救援工作。

Rescue operations were underway.

救援行动正在进行中

The death toll continued to rise after the blaze broke out, with at least 13 dead and many others injured. Many residents were reported to have been trapped in their homes, with seven out of the total eight buildings on the residential estate on fire and a plume of smoke engulfing the sky and visible from far away. The fire continued to escalate into the night, with burning objects falling and explosions at the scene.

火灾发生后死亡人数持续攀升，目前已造成至少13人死亡，多人受伤。据报道，许多居民被困家中，该住宅区八栋楼房中有七栋起火，浓烟滚滚笼罩天空，远方皆可望见。火势持续蔓延至深夜，现场不断有燃烧物坠落并发生爆炸。

The blaze, which started at around 2:51 pm, was upgraded to a No 4 alarm at 3:34 pm, and it was further upgraded to a No 5 alarm, the second highest, at 6:22 pm.

这场大火于下午2时51分左右起火，下午3时34分升级为4级警报，随后于下午6时22分进一步升级为5级警报，这是第二高警报级别。

Wang Fuk Court, currently under renovation, is a housing complex of eight buildings and nearly 2,000 residential units.

宏福苑目前正在进行翻新工程，该住宅区由八栋楼宇组成，共计近2000个住宅单元。

Nine people were found dead at the scene and four others were later confirmed dead after being sent to hospitals. Among the dead was 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho. Six people were still in serious condition. The injured were sent to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

现场发现九人死亡，另有四人送医后确认死亡。死者中包括37岁的消防员何伟豪。六人伤势危重，伤者已被送往附近医院接受进一步治疗。

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has extended his deepest condolences regarding the firefighter who lost his life while performing his duties and to the families of the deceased.

香港行政长官李家超就一名消防员在执行任务时不幸殉职，向逝者家属致以最深切的哀悼。

Lee said in a Facebook post that he had immediately activated an emergency monitoring and support center, received reports from the Security Bureau and the Fire Services Department, and instructed the emergency and fire departments to make every effort in firefighting and rescue work.

李家超在脸书发文称，他已立即启动应急监测支援中心，接收保安局及消防处的报告，并指示应急及消防部门全力投入灭火及救援工作。

The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government sent 767 personnel to the scene.

香港特别行政区政府消防处派出767名人员前往现场。

The department said seven 32-story buildings, which all have bamboo scaffolding erected for renovation, were on fire. The conditions were extremely hazardous, with debris continuously falling and the number of distress calls increasing, which necessitated the escalation of the fire to a No 5 alarm, the department told media in an on-site briefing.

消防部门表示，七栋32层高的建筑物正在燃烧，这些楼宇均已架设竹制脚手架进行翻修。现场情况极其危险，碎片不断坠落，求救电话数量持续增加，因此消防部门在现场简报会上向媒体通报，必须将火警级别提升至5级。

The Hong Kong government has opened five temporary shelters to accommodate affected residents, and a secondary school has also been opened to house evacuated residents. Several hundred people gathered at the temporary shelters, where bread, water and biscuits were being distributed.

香港政府已开设五处临时收容所安置受灾居民，并开放一所中学收容疏散居民。数百人聚集在临时收容所，现场正分发面包、饮用水和饼干。

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