A huge fire still burning in a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex that has killed at least 55 people with almost 300 missing poses a major test of Beijing's grip on the city, which it has transformed since mass pro-democracy protests of 2019.

Hong Kong is one of the world's last remaining cities to use the frames for modern construction and building repair, a practice which dates back centuries in China and other parts of Asia.

Hong Kong’s worst residential fire in more than half a century is triggering worries that a swathe of the high-rise housing common in China’s cities could be susceptible to similar safety risks.

Hong Kong authorities say at least 128 people have died killed in the fire that spread through a dense high-rise residential housing complex Wednesday.

The exact cause of the blaze at a high-rise complex was not known, but the authorities suspect that materials on the exterior of the towers did not meet fire-safety standards.

A massive fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has claimed 14 lives and injured many more. Discover the latest updates.

It was unclear how many people could possibly be inside the buildings, which had almost 2,000 apartments and some 4,800 residents.