1 dead after industrial accident at Kai Tak stadium construction site; concern group condemns Hip Hing Construction
Hong Kong Free Press
A construction worker has succumbed to his injuries following an industrial accident at the site of a new sports stadium in Kai Tak.
The worker, a 52-year-old lift platform operator, was assisting a colleague with maintenance work when the incident happened on Wednesday afternoon, local media reported.
The Labour Department immediately deployed staff to the scene after it received a report of the incident and has launched an investigation, it said in a statement.
According to a police statement, a report was received at around noon on Wednesday that a construction worker surnamed Lai had fallen unconscious, with the incident classified as a work accident.
He was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for emergency treatment, but died at around 8 pm.
A spokesperson said the Sports Park was “deeply saddened” by the death of the worker.
Image showing medics administering emergency treatment for the work accident victim (click to view).
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. The main contractor and its subcontractors will provide all necessary assistance to the family and fully cooperate with the Labour Department and the police in their investigation,” the sports park’s statement read.
Track record
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims (ARIAV) expressed its condolences in a statement on Wednesday evening, adding that it was in touch with the family members of the deceased.
The concern group will provide assistance and urge the contractor and employers to help the family as far as possible, it said.
The group also issued a condemnation of the contractor, Hip Hing Construction, citing an earlier incident on another construction site in the Kai Tak area this February that left two dead and three injured.
“[ARIAV] condemns the frequent occurrence of accidents in the company, and believes it is necessary for it to thoroughly review its safety management system,” the statement read.
The concern group also listed five other accidents between February 2021 and January 2024 on construction projects overseen by Hip Hing Construction, some of which resulted in deaths.
The Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts ruled last June that Hip Hing had violated the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations and should be fined HK$130,000 over the fatal accident.
In May 2022, a working platform around two metres high collapsed at the construction site of the new Immigration Department headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, killing a 48-year-old construction worker. The site was managed by Hip Hing.
The Kai Tak Sports Park, still under construction, is set to open in 2025.
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