Drowned hawker 'trapped in silt'

An elderly hawker who jumped into a 50-metre-wide nullah to avoid a raid by hawker-control officers drowned after his feet were trapped in silt, the jury was told at the inquest into his death yesterday.

Fire Services Department diver Choi See-tin said Lo Kong-ching, 65, was found 15 metres from the bank, face-down in muddy water with his feet buried in the half-metre-deep silt.

Presentation of evidence ended yesterday, and Coroner William Lam Kui-po began his direction of the jury, which is expected to retire today.

Lo, a hawker of Chinese herbs, jumped into the nullah about 9.30am on June 26 last year to avoid a raid by hawker-control officers.

The officers have testified that they had not gone to arrest anyone, just to observe and monitor the hawkers.

Mr Choi said he found Lo, who was unresponsive, in the water at 10.05am.