HONG KONG —

       Hundreds of people found themselves trapped on the rooftop of a Hong Kong skyscraper after a major fire broke out Wednesday, as firefighters rushed to rescue them and put out the blaze.

       The fire started in the early afternoon at the World Trade Center on Gloucester Road in the city’s popular Causeway Bay shopping district, according to a government notice. The 38-story tower houses both offices and a mall.

       At least 12 people were sent to hospital for treatment, according to authorities. By about 3 p.m., the blaze was under control.

       Dense smoke was seen billowing from the building, and photos and videos from those trapped inside showed poor visibility as smoke filled the building’s restaurants and stairways.

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       About 300 people evacuated to the top of the building while waiting to be rescued, police told local media.

       Tens of people trapped in the building had also jammed into narrow areas on an open-air podium on the fifth floor, peering over the edge as they awaited rescue.

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       Preliminary investigations by the police suggested that the fire broke out in the electrical switch room on the first floor of the shopping mall before spreading to the scaffolding that surrounded part of the building, according to the South China Morning Post.

       Firefighters used an extendable ladder to rescue the people on the fifth floor. Other people were said to be trapped in restaurants in the mall, the newspaper said.

       About 1,200 people were evacuated from the building, according to local media reports.

       The fire was categorized as a Level 3 incident on a five-point scale of severity, according to a police notice.