Editorial | Keeping Hong Kong’s ageing buildings safe must be a priority
- Recent case of falling concrete from a 57-year-old block in Mong Kok – twice in four days – shows there is still much work for the authorities and owners to do
Building vertically has for decades been the norm for a small city with a big appetite for development. But the high-rise jungle is also packed with ageing blocks with poor maintenance, putting public safety at risk.
This is not helped by slack enforcement in relation to illegal structures and mandatory safety checks, as reflected in the accidents at the densely populated neighbourhood of Mong Kok.
It was sheer luck that the chunks of concrete and plastic that rained down from a 57-year-old block last Wednesday did not cause serious injuries.
Four days earlier, a truck driver was taken to hospital for treatment after being hit by falling concrete from an illegally built canopy on the top floor at the same site.
An inspection by the Buildings Department found that some canopies and projections on the external wall had come loose, though officials said “no obvious danger to the overall building structure was noted”.
