HONOLULU (Reuters) - Flames ripped through three floors of a Honolulu tower block, killing three people including a mother and her adult son on Friday, officials and media said.

The blaze at the 36-story Marco Polo condominium complex sent thick black smoke pouring over the city, a month to the day after a deadly high-rise fire in London.

Firefighters sprayed water onto the flames from nearby balconies and brought them under control at about 6.30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT Saturday), fours hours after the fire began, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters.

“I looked down I could see the billowing smoke coming up,” resident Ron Chiarottino said. “I heard three women’s voices screaming, pleading, moaning, ‘Please help me, please’ continuous screaming for five or ten minutes, and then I didn’t hear anymore.”

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said a mother and her adult son were among the three people who perished on the 26th floor, where the fire started. At least 12 other people were injured, it added.

Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters that the building did not have a sprinkler system. “Without a doubt if there was sprinklers in this apartment, the fire would be contained to the unit of origin ... the unit (where) the fire started,” he said.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the fire and officers were conducting a room-by-room search, a task that could take several hours, he added.

NO SPRINKLERS

The building was constructed in 1971, before the city began requiring sprinkler systems, the Star-Advertiser newspaper said.

In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower block on June 14. That building was also built in the 1970s and did not have a sprinkler system.

Images posted online on Friday showed orange flames raging on several floors and debris falling from windows. There were no immediate reports on what caused the blaze in Honolulu.

“We were all trying to help as much as we could ... but there was a fire and you could see it spreading,” said 72-year-old resident Karen Hastings, who was in the building when the fire broke out.

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One firefighter and four residents were taken to hospital while eight other residents were treated at the scene, the Star-Advertiser said.

Volunteers were looking after residents at a nearby park, the Hawaii Red Cross said on Twitter.

The fire forced the closure of a major road in front of the condominium complex, the Honolulu police department said on Twitter.</s>At least three people have died following a huge fire in a block of flats in Honolulu.

The emergency services are battling to save trapped residents after the blaze took hold of the 36-storey tower.

Smoke billowed from the Marco Polo building as flames raged across several floors while debris fell from windows.

Emergency responders treated several people at the scene and two were taken to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said.

"Paramedics are expediting emergency treatment with a triage location inside the building," Shayne Enright of the city's Emergency Medical Services department told the Star-Advertiser.

Local media has reported that three people are dead and two casualties are believed to have been hospitalised, one in serious condition and the other considered stable.

Fire officials were also responding to reports of people trapped in their apartments, the paper said, but had not confirmed them.

The Hawaii Red Cross said on Twitter that those evacuated from the building were being accommodated at a nearby park and tended to be volunteers.

About 60 firefighters were battling the flames, which broke out shortly after 2 p.m. local time (7 pm EDT) and helicopters could be seen circling the tower.

The fire had caused the closure of a major road in front of the condominium complex, the Honolulu police department said on social network Twitter.

In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments on June 14.

Authorities have opened two major investigations into the blaze, the worst in he British capital since World War Two, and have said that criminal charges could be forthcoming.</s>At least three people have been killed in a block of high-rise flats in Honolulu, Hawaii.</s>July 14 (Reuters) – Firefighters battled a blaze on Friday in a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, as media reported that several people could be injured or trapped in their homes.

Thick black smoke poured from the Marco Polo building as orange flames raged on several floors and debris fell from windows, in images broadcast by bystanders on the Periscope streaming service.

Emergency responders were treating several people at the scene, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said, citing fire officials.

READ MORE: Grenfell Tower fire raises alarms on fire codes around the world

Reuters was not immediately able to determine the number of those injured.

Fire officials were also responding to reports of people trapped in their apartments, the paper added. About 60 firefighters were battling the flames and helicopters could be seen circling the tower.

The fire had caused the closure of a major road in front of the condominium complex, the Honolulu police department said on social network Twitter.

In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments on June 14.</s>An arial view of Honolulu, Hawaii. A fire broke out yesterday in the 36-story Marco Polo condominium building and media reported that there were people injured. ― AFP picHONOLULU, July 15 ― A fire broke out yesterday in a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, with media reporting that several people could be trapped in their homes, as firefighters battled the flames.

Images broadcast by bystanders on the Periscope streaming service showed thick black smoke pouring from the Marco Polo condominium building as orange flames raged on several floors.

Emergency responders were treating several people at the scene, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said, citing fire officials.

Fire officials were also responding to reports of people trapped in their apartments, the paper added.

At least 80 people were killed on June 14 when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments in London. ― Reuters</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

3 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

At least three people were killed and two suffered smoke inhalation on Friday as a fire consumed several floors of a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, media said.

HONOLULU: At least three people were killed and two suffered smoke inhalation on Friday as a fire consumed several floors of a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, media said.

Thick black smoke poured from the building as orange flames raged on several floors and debris fell from windows in images broadcast by bystanders on the Periscope streaming service.

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze, spraying water on flames from nearby balconies as a helicopter circled above, images posted online showed.

The fire began on the 26th floor of the Marco Polo high rise building at about 2:15 p.m., spreading to floors above and below, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

As many as three people died on the 26th floor, Fire Chief Manuel Neves told a news conference at the scene. He did not provide details of the deaths, the paper said.

Emergency responders treated several people, with two taken to a nearby hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, it said, adding that one of the two hospitalized patients was in serious condition, but the other was stable.

"Paramedics are expediting emergency treatment with a triage location inside the building," Shayne Enright of the city's Emergency Medical Services department told the paper.

Fire officials were also responding to reports of people trapped in their apartments, the paper said, but had not confirmed the number.

Evacuees from the building were being accommodated at a nearby park, with volunteers tending them, the Hawaii Red Cross said on social network Twitter.

The fire forced the closure of a major road in front of the condominium complex, the Honolulu police department said on Twitter.

In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments on June 14.

Authorities have opened two major investigations into the blaze, the worst in the British capital since World War Two, and have said criminal charges could be forthcoming.</s>At least three people have died in a fire in a high-rise block of flats in Hawaii.

The blaze at the Marco Polo apartments in the capital Honolulu started on the 26th floor and spread to at least the 27th floor and several flats.

The number of fatalities could change as firefighters said there were reports of people trapped in their apartments.

Paramedics treated several injured people and at least two were in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Troy Yasuda, who lives in a building across the street, was giving water to people who were evacuated.

"They were choking from the smoke," he said.

Mr Yasuda said he watched people being carried out.

"It's been an orderly evacuation," said security guard Leonard Rosa, who was answering phones from the front lobby of the 31-storey building.

Fourth-floor resident Aaron Dengler and his wife were helping their elderly neighbour get to an aid station the American Red Cross set up at a nearby park.

He said: "It doesn't help to just stand and watch."</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

3 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

At least three people were killed and two suffered smoke inhalation on Friday as a fire consumed several floors of a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, media said.

HONOLULU: Three people died in a fire that consumed three floors of a 36-storey condominium tower in Honolulu on Friday, city officials said.

At least five others were injured in the blaze at the Marco Polo high-rise that send thick black smoke pouring out over the city, a month to the day after a deadly tower fire in London.

Firefighters sprayed water onto the flames from nearby balconies and brought them under control at about 6:30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT Saturday), fours hours after the fire began, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters.

"We were all trying to help as much as we could ... but there was a fire and you could see it spreading," said 72-year-old resident, Karen Hastings, who was in the building when the fire broke out.

The blaze began on the 26th floor and quickly spread to the two floors above, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper reported. There were no immediate reports on what caused it.

Images posted online showed orange flames raging on several floors and debris falling from windows.

Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters that the building did not have a sprinkler system. Officers were conducting a room-by-room search, a task that could take several hours, he said.

"We don't have any information for us to believe that there are problems with the structure," Neves added.

The building was constructed in 1971, before the city began requiring sprinkler systems, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said.

City officials told the newspaper that if the building had had a sprinkler system, the fire would have been contained to the original unit.

Emergency responders said they took at least five people to hospital with injuries and a number of others were treated at the scene.

Evacuees were being accommodated at a nearby park, with volunteers tending them, the Hawaii Red Cross said on social network Twitter.

The fire forced the closure of a major road in front of the condominium complex, the Honolulu police department said on Twitter.

In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments on June 14. That building also did not have a sprinkler system.</s>(Reuters) - A fire broke out on Friday in a 36-story condominium tower in Honolulu, with media reporting that several people could be trapped in their homes, as firefighters battled the flames.

Images broadcast by bystanders on the Periscope streaming service showed thick black smoke pouring from the Marco Polo condominium building as orange flames raged on several floors.

Emergency responders were treating several people at the scene, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper said, citing fire officials.

Fire officials were also responding to reports of people trapped in their apartments, the paper added.

At least 80 people were killed on June 14 when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower apartments in London.</s>A police officer directs a fire truck at the Marco Polo apartment building after a fire broke out in it in Honolulu, Hawaii, July 14, 2017.

(Reuters) - Honolulu fire officials on Saturday were hoping to determine the cause of a blaze that tore through three upper floors of a 36-story residential tower in Hawaii's capital, killing at least three people.

The blaze on Friday, which took firefighters about four hours to extinguish, caused debris to rain down from the Marco Polo tower overlooking a beachfront tourist district, forcing the closure of a major road and sending thick, black smoke billowing over the city.

It also highlighted the absence of sprinkler systems in some older buildings, which became mandatory in Honolulu high-rises in 1974. The Marco Polo opened three years earlier.

"Without a doubt if there was sprinklers in this apartment, the fire would be contained to the unit of origin," Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters, adding that it took more than 100 firefighters to control the blaze.

The blaze erupted a month to the day after the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, the London high-rise where at least 80 people died in a fire in an older building also unequipped with sprinklers.

Investigators believe the Marco Polo fire broke out on the 26th floor of the building, according to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman David Jenkins. He said investigators hoped to begin nailing down the cause quickly.

During the four-hour battle, firefighters sprayed water on the flames from nearby balconies and hallways while guiding residents out of harm's way, Jenkins said. The blaze, which destroyed a dozen condominium units and forced the closure of three floors, erupted high above the reach of fire engine ladders, he said.

Firefighters have since gone through rubble-filled condominiums several times to look for any victims beyond the three people confirmed killed, Jenkins said. Speaking by phone, he said no other bodies had been found but added, "I'm not going to put down any guarantee that we have completely cleared it."

Firefighters planned to conduct another sweep through the building early Saturday, he said.

Medics treated a dozen people at the site of the fire and five were transported to hospitals in serious condition, Jenkins said. One of those, a firefighter, has since been released after receiving treatment for heat exhaustion.

The victims who died included a mother and her adult son, according to local media. Jenkins declined to provide any details on their identities.

Witnesses described harrowing moments after the tower fire broke out on Friday afternoon.

"I looked down, I could see the billowing smoke coming up," resident Ron Chiarottino said. "I heard three women's voices screaming, pleading, moaning, 'Please help me, please' - continuous screaming for five or 10 minutes, and then I didn't hear any more."
At least three people are killed and two hospitalized, one in serious condition, from a fire in a condominium tower in the U.S. city of Honolulu, Hawaii. An unknown number of residents are reportedly still trapped in their apartments.