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City University roof collapse
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Professor Paul Lam, chairman of the committee. Photo: Edward Wong

Hong Kong investigation team shortlists 10 possible causes of City University roof collapse

Panel, which will meet again on Monday, will not announce the possible causes for the time being

The team investigating last week’s City University roof collapse has pinpointed about a dozen possible causes of the accident, but won’t be making them public until it reports next month.

The nine-member investigation panel held its third meeting on Friday morning. Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, CityU’s vice-president, who chairs the panel, said members studied the rooftop garden’s design and the tendering process. The group also examinedenvironmental circumstances to determine the possible causes of the collapse.

“Through our discussion, we have updated the list [of possible causes] continuously. We have a list of over 10 factors at the moment,” Professor Lam said after the three-hour discussion, adding that it was not appropriate to reveal further details.

“When we publish the final report, you will see those factors.”

The probe came after a giant green rooftop at the university’s sports centre in Kowloon Tong came crashing down last Friday, injuring three people. The committee is due to publish a preliminary report on June 6 on exactly what happened and what caused the collapse.

The identities of the contractor and authorised persons, who should be responsible for the project, remain a mystery.

The panel has invited veteran surveyor Kenneth Chan Jor-kin to its meeting on Monday, after he twice denied authorising the project.

The panel is probing the roof’s design and tendering process. Photo: Dickson Lee

“We can understand better the views of each other [through the meeting]... If he does not have time for it, we will try our best to cooperate,” said Lam.

Also on the invitation list are Mak Kang-hoi, the responsible person of Sinoway Construction Engineering, and its registered structural engineer, Tsang Yin-sang, as their names were on relevant documents.

Professor Lam added management would continue to remove soil and vegetation from all other building tops.

In another development, the Buildings Department issued a letter to engineers and contractors reminding them to check the capacity of additional greening to see if it was suitable for existing buildings.

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