HONG KONG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, together with all sectors of the society, has been stepping up efforts to rescue people and minimize losses after a major fire tore through a residential area in Hong Kong.

"Mattresses and supplies still keep coming in. As soon as they arrive, we will immediately open another new area for relocation," Lam Yick Kuen, a Tai Po care team member, told Xinhua.

Lam was working late into the night at the community hall Wednesday, busy arranging accommodations for batches of affected residents. He said he was a latecomer to the relocation center.

"The first batch of care team members started at around 5 or 6 p.m. Wednesday. I was already late when I arrived at 6 or 7 p.m.," Lam said.

Hong Kong's Fire Services Department (FSD) received reports of fire at 2:51 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, leaving 55 people dead by Thursday afternoon.

Following the outbreak of the fire, Chief Executive of the HKSAR John Lee chaired an interdepartmental emergency meeting and immediately activated an emergency monitoring and support center. He instructed relevant departments to make every effort in firefighting, rescue and cure work.

Rescue operations have already been on the move. According to the FSD, as of early Thursday, over 200 fire engines and about 100 ambulances had been deployed, with more than 1,200 firefighters engaged in the operation.

Police officers have mobilized over 1,000 personnel for the evacuation and rescue operations, as well as emergency support. The city's hospital authorities have coordinated contingency measures with nine public hospitals on standby to receive the casualties.

To help people in need, the government has opened a number of temporary shelters.

In Tung Cheong Street Sports Center, a temporary shelter, mattresses of different colors were laid out neatly on the floor, while the original activity space has been converted into a "haven" for hundreds of residents. Personnel from the civil aid service and the care teams were seen weaving through the area, quietly asking the affected about their needs, offering hot water to the elderly and distributing food.

All sectors across the city have been keeping a close eye on the incident, offering assistance to those impacted.

Jacky Chu, president of the Lions Club of Hong Kong Alba, was amazed by the scale of the public contributions. "I never imagined so many supplies would be donated," he said.

Though not a resident in the neighborhood, Chu rushed to the site upon hearing the news and has been busy all the way from 9 p.m. on Wednesday to the early hours of Thursday morning. From moving to distributing supplies, he and other volunteers did whatever was needed to help.

Heather Yin, corporate communications manager of the Hong Kong Red Cross, said that the organization has opened a psychological support hotline for those affected and has been working with local communities to mobilize volunteers.

"All institutions and organizations are pulling together in the relief effort," Yin said.

Locals as well as visitors from the Chinese mainland and overseas swarmed blood donation centers across Hong Kong. A center in Causeway Bay said it had been booked out for the next three days by avid donors answering a citywide call to help the people injured in the fire. Information about where and how to donate blood quickly circulated on social media platforms.

Such assistance has helped alleviate the anxiety of those affected and strengthened their confidence.

"I saw my building engulfed by flames on the way home from work. My kid was at school, and my mother was at home alone," said a resident surnamed Chan. She had been trying anxiously to reach her family while she was being relocated to the shelter and was finally relieved to be reunited with her family.

"The social worker came to check on my kid. It's reassuring to be with my family and get support from others. I believe that we can get through this," she said.