Editorial | More details needed on Hong Kong crane collapse
- Official report into the deadly accident in September is short on details, denying justice and closure for the victims and their families
Officials have completed investigations into a crane collapse accident that killed three people and injured six others at a construction site in September. But the details released to the families of the victims and the public remain patchy.
The lack of transparency does little for those seeking justice and closure, and does not instil confidence in the government’s commitment to enhancing industrial safety. The Labour Department concluded the six-month probe with a six-paragraph statement and a two-page annex on the incident.
It said the welded joint between the metal I-beams on the top of the grillage foundation connecting to the base of the tower crane and the second layer of the metal I-beams were found torn off after the accident, resulting in the collapse of the crane.
A total of 67 prosecutions had been brought against the relevant contractor, subcontractors and individuals under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. But the statement stopped short of naming the parties and the charges concerned.
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Crane accident kills 3 workers at Hong Kong construction site
The 65-tonne tower crane that toppled and crashed into the container offices at the housing site in Sau Mau Ming was one of the worst industrial accidents in recent times. It has again called into question the unsatisfactory safety record for workers as the city’s appetite for growth and development continues to increase.
