Hong Kong fire services guidelines and gear targeted in inquest over death of fireman from 2014 gas explosion
Coroner’s Court considers evidence submitted over deadly blast that killed firefighter Leung Kwok-kei, in bid to suggest improvements and prevent similar tragedies
When an explosive blast strong enough to break an elevator door hit Hong Kong fireman Leung Kwok-kei, it melted his helmet and inflicted horrific injuries. He died 13 days later in what was initially described as a simple case of gas leakage.
But on Wednesday, the Coroner’s Court finished hearing evidence submitted by various parties, in which experts called the incident “extremely rare”. The court has been tasked to look into the cause of Leung’s death and identify recommendations to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
The case raised questions over emergency procedures in handling gas leakages and the adequacy of the Fire Services Department’s gear and guidelines.
Among issues identified were outdated helmets worn by firefighters during the incident at Mei Ying House in Shek Kip Mei Estate on November 22, 2014. Nine crew members were sent to hospital, and among them, principal fireman Leung, who eventually succumbed after almost two weeks of intensive care.
The court previously heard the gas leakage first came to the attention of the building’s management when a resident made a report at 8.20am. Her call was the first of four reports that prompted security guard Lui Ching-kuen to inspect the corridors from the ninth to the eleventh floor in the three hours that followed.
Lui said he smelled something unusual, but could not tell what it was. His colleague Pun Chiu-keung testified: “He asked me to go check because his nose wasn’t very sharp ... I smelled gas.”
