ISTANBUL 

At least 36 people, including a firefighter, were killed Wednesday, while 279 people are missing in Hong Kong in a major fire at a housing estate.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said at a news conference that the death toll has risen to 36.

Another 279 people are missing, while 29 have been hospitalized. Among them, seven are in critical condition, said Lee, according to the South China Morning Post.

Lee noted that out of the seven buildings affected by the blaze in Wang Fuk Court, three appeared dark from the outside, while the other four showed "disparate signs of fire."

Describing it as a "catastrophe," city leader John Lee reported that the fire was "gradually under control" by 1.20 am Thursday (1720GMT Wednesday)

More than 140 fire engines and over 800 firefighters and paramedics have been deployed to tackle the fire, with drones also being utilized.

Chinese President Xi Jinping extended condolences for the blaze, and urged all-out efforts to extinguish the fire and minimize casualties and losses, according to state-run Xinhua News.

The Education Bureau has stated that classes will be canceled at six schools in the district Thursday due to the fire and resulting traffic jams caused by road closures.

Flames quickly spread across the bamboo scaffolding at the estate to all eight blocks of it in the Tai Po neighborhood after the fire started.

Eight blocks of the estate, called Wang Fuk Court, include more than 1,900 apartments.

Police were notified around 2 pm (0600GMT).

The fire department raised the fire alarm to the second-highest level, No. 4, by 3.34 pm l (0734GMT) and finally to the highest at 6.22 pm (1022GMT).

Police said several other people are trapped in the building where the fire started.

Rescue operations continue.