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Call for improved safety at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park after fatal haunted house accident

Visitors want to see more staff on call in attractions to avoid more incidents at amusement park, ahead of Halloween Fest next month

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Ocean Park closed its Halloween attraction "Buried Alive" on Saturday after a man died inside haunted house. Photo: David Wong
Phila Siu

Ocean Park visitors have called on the Hong Kong amusement park to ensure all of its haunted houses are safe to use before they are officially opened to the public next month, after a fatal accident on Saturday.

They made the remarks after a 21-year-old man died inside the Buried Alive attraction, part of the Halloween Fest that will be officially opened from October 5. The man ventured “by mistake” into a backstage area open only to staff after he had used a slide inside the attraction, the park said earlier.

A probe by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department found that the man was hit by “moving parts of the slide” in the area. The slide measured 4.5 metres long and 2.5 metres high. It has been approved by the department after a comprehensive examination by independent inspectors. The department believed the incident did not involve mechanical failure.

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Tourists walk pass the haunted house
Tourists walk pass the haunted house

While the haunted houses would only officially open to the public next month, they were open to invited corporate guests on Saturday and Sunday. Some guests said the fatal incident would not deter them from visiting the Halloween attractions but hoped the park would improve its safety measures.

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“It was completely dark inside and I had to walk my way slowly out. I was touching the wall all the way for direction. The walls on both sides were covered in soft stuff so it would not be dangerous if I bump into the walls,” said 35-year-old Roy Chan, after playing in the Dark Maze Halloween attraction on Sunday.

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