Beam test to find cause of collapse

Officials are to investigate whether human error or criminal action led to the collapse of a concrete beam at a Kowloon Motor Bus Depot construction site, which left one worker dead on Tuesday.

Commissioner for Labour Pamela Tan Kam Mi-wah said during a radio interview yesterday that the department would work with buildings officials to investigate the accident.

She said the collapsed concrete beam would be lifted and each piece of the metal support structure carefully put together to recreate the conditions before the collapse.

'It will be re-assembled and put to the test to find out whether the cause of collapse lies in the design, materials, assembly or construction methods.

'Legal action will be taken . . . if human error or violations of the law are found to have taken place,' she said.

A preliminary report is expected in a month.

Chow Kwok-fong, 55, died and nine other men were seriously injured in the accident. Five workers remain in a stable condition in hospital while the rest have been discharged.