The blaze was upgraded to a level 3 incident on a scale of one to five.
Firefighters were battling the blaze with two water jets, the government said, with breathing apparatus deployed and ladders used to rescue people inside the building.
Police said about 100 people moved from a restaurant to a podium on the 39th floor when the fire broke out and smoke filled the dining area, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
The scene outside the World Trade Centre was calm after firefighters cordoned off the area.