SADNESS hung over a packed house during the last of a series of Andy Lau concerts at the Hongkong Coliseum last night, following news that a 17-year-old youth had died after being injured at an earlier performance.
Lee Kar-cheong collapsed and fell as people scrambled for balloons during a show on February 13 and died of severe concussion on Sunday.
There was no special ceremony last night to commemorate his death, although Lau broke down during his penultimate song, A Smile In Despair.
Fighting back tears, Lau said: ''As an artiste, all I wanted was to entertain the public and make people happy. I deeply regret that this tragedy has happened.'' Lau sang his last song, Goodbye Now, and bowed out amid applause.
The joint organisers of the concerts - Yiu Wing Entertainment Company, Engineering Impact Ltd and Teamwork Production House - cancelled their planned end-of-series celebrations last night.
Senior Inspector Phyllis Kwan Kam-bing said investigators would take statements from 20 witnesses.
She said a report had already been submitted to Mr Justice Bohkary, who is expected to submit to the Governor today his final report on the Lan Kwai Fong New Year stampede, which left 21 dead.