People watch as smoke rises from apartments after a major fire swept through several blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)
People watch as smoke rises from apartments after a major fire swept through several blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)

Hong Kong's government said on Thursday the death toll from a fire that tore through an apartment complex in the city had risen to 65.

"... the fire had claimed 65 lives and injured 70 people" by 8 pm local time, a government spokesperson told AFP, citing fire service figures, adding that 10 firefighters had been injured since the fire broke out on Wednesday. (AFP)