Honolulu fire: At least 3 dead in high-rise building blaze, some residents feared trapped

At least three people died and several were injured after a high-rise apartment building in Honolulu, United States, caught fire on Friday. Reports state that dozens of firefighters are at the scene of incident, which occurred just outside Waikiki.

The blaze at Marco Polo Apartments began on the 26th floor and rapidly spread to the 27th floor and several other units of the building, Honolulu fire department spokesperson Captain David Jenkins said.

Jenkins added that the number of casualties in the incident could increase.

The firefighters said that there are reports of people trapped in their units inside the building. Paramedics at the spot treated several people who were injured in the incident. 

Two of the wounded, who were in a serious condition, have been rushed to the hospital. They are believed to be stable now.

The Marco Polo high-rise has a total of 568 apartments and four commercial spaces, according to reports.

Police officials at the spot asked people, through microphones, to come out of the building if they were still inside.

The neighbours of the highrise have all come out to offer their assistance to the affected people.

Troy Yasuda, who lives across the street, gave water to the people who had evacuated the building.

"They were choking from the smoke," Yasuda told Associated Press. He added that the residents of the building said that they had evacuated through the staircases which were pitch dark.

Reports state that police and firefighters were carrying out a door-to-door search to evacuate people stranded in the building.

One of the residents of the building, Aaron Dengler, said that the fire started two hours ago and it appears as through the flames were just getting bigger.

"People are getting kind of nervous now," he said. "It's worrisome."

More details are awaited.