The Hong Kong government has vowed to launch an investigation into an industrial accident after two men died in a suspected gas leak at a construction site.
A 26-year-old worker surnamed Kwok and his colleague surnamed Lee, 34, died on Tuesday after they were hospitalised following a suspected hydrogen sulphide leak at around midnight at Yuen Wo Playground in Sha Tin.
According to preliminary investigation by the police, Kwok and Lee had fainted after inhaling hydrogen sulphide at the construction site. They were found inside a four-metre-deep manhole. Two other workers crawled out of the manhole themselves.
All four of them were sent to Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment, with Kwok and Lee pronounced dead later. The cause of death is yet to be confirmed pending a post-mortem examination.
The other two workers, aged 23 and 35, were hospitalised.
The Drainage Services Department said in a statement on Tuesday that the accident took place when workers were cleaning the sewers. They were hired by a subcontractor responsible for maintenance and construction projects in the Sha Tin District.
The workers did not have to enter the manhole as work procedures only required them to use high-pressure water hoses to clean the manhole, the department said.
Director of Drainage Services Mok Wing-cheong expressed “deep condolences” to the families of Kwok and Lee and pledged to provide suitable assistance together with the subcontractor.
After the accident on Tuesday, the Drainage Services Department instructed the contractor and subcontractor to suspend work and conduct safety inspections, the department’s statement read. Similar projects under the department’s jurisdiction were also suspended temporarily to ensure safety measures were put in place.
At a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee extended his condolences to the families of the two workers and called on workers and subcontractors to value industrial safety.
“For industrial accidents, I think the most important thing is to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth investigation to see why the accident happened,” the city’s leader told the press in Cantonese.
“Industrial accidents is something that everyone has a duty in [tackling]… I hope the overall industrial safety culture will become natural in every worker,” he added.
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
