Several high-rise buildings in Hong Kong are on fire.

The reason makes fire expert Stephen Mackenzie furious.

– It shouldn't be possible to happen, not after Grenfell, he says.

Massive fire in Hong Kong – many dead

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At least 36 people have died after the giant fire that broke out in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning, Swedish time.

Flames are still shooting out the windows.

City council member Mui Sui-fung says they are being called by relatives who cannot reach their family members.

At least 279 people are missing.

"Many people have sent us Whatsapp messages or called us and said they still have relatives in there or that they can't find them," Mui Sui-fung told BBC.

Under renovation

The fire started in a 31-story building, but quickly spread to nearby buildings.

At least 4,600 people are reported to live in the houses that are now under renovation.

According to Reuters, the fact that the fire spread so quickly between the houses is due to the fact that they were surrounded by bamboo scaffolding. A method that is still common in Asian countries where cheap bamboo can be obtained locally.

But it has also been criticized because of the fire risk.

“Shouldn’t happen”

Fire expert Stephen McKenzie calls it "gross negligence."

"Unfortunately, they use bamboo extensively for exterior scaffolding in Asia. Even though the material has a certain degree of flame retardant, it doesn't really matter once a full-blown fire has formed, because ultimately it's combustible," he tells CNN.

He says the Hong Kong fire could be worse than the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017 where 72 people died.

"We simply shouldn't be seeing this. After Grenfell, after the extensive public inquiry, we shouldn't be seeing fire spreading from house to house to house. It shouldn't be happening."