Building's raised lobby design allowed deadly gas to accumulate, says expert
'Unusual' corrosion was found in the section of an underground pipe believed to have leaked the gas responsible for a fatal explosion in Ngau Tau Kok on Tuesday.
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company made the announcement yesterday as investigations continued into the blast that killed an elderly woman and injured eight other people.
Liu Lok-chun died when she fell into a hole in the lift lobby of the Wai King Building that was rocked by the explosion at 2.30pm. A woman, 94, remained in critical condition in Queen Elizabeth Hospital last night, while two other victims - a 65-year-old woman and traffic policeman Lo Chi-cheung, 35 - were stable in United Christian Hospital.
Liu's family has demanded to know who was responsible for the accident and why there was no evacuation immediately after the leak was reported.
A Towngas spokeswoman said the corroded section of pipe had been in place for just 23 years, far less than the international safety standard of 60 to 70 years.
