IT WAS just after 10 am on August 28 last year when a huge explosion ripped through the Castle Peak power station, killing two workers and injuring 19 others. Such was the force of the blast, caused by two exploding hydrogen cylinders, that concrete walls were flattened and debris was scattered over a 400-metre radius.
But what caused the cylinders to explode became the centre of debate among the expert teams sent in to investigate: one from the Government and one from China Light and Power (CLP).
Earlier this year, a jury returned a verdict of accidental death on Wong Kwong-yu, 38, and Yip Ka-pui, 41. It was one of the longest hearings in recent years.
But the astonishing claims of Michael Ford, who represented China Light and Power at the hearing, raise serious question marks over whether the jury was in full possession of the facts.
With hindsight, a number of clues were contained in the hearing that suggested perhaps all was not what it seemed.
During the inquest the head of the Government investigation, Hsu King-ping, said his team believed the blast happened due to the combination of a number of failures in the hydrogen generation plant.
''This investigation had led to the revelation of a number of serious deficiencies, of which those on August 28, 1992, were merely specific instances,'' he said.
