Hong Kong construction worker falls to his death when iron beam breaks
- Scaffolding was not secure at time of accident, fire department says
- Man was wearing safety harness and authorities are investigating the cause of the accident
A 41-year-old construction worker was killed after a 10-tonne iron beam fell from the 17th storey he was working on at a Kowloon Bay construction site on Saturday afternoon.
The man was working on the same platform and he plunged to the second floor when the iron beam broke.
The construction site, for a commercial development, is located in Muk Yuen Street in Kai Tak. According to the Fire Services Department, the accident happened at 2.07pm and two scaffolding were damaged after the beam fell to the first floor. The man was certified dead in the scene.
“The scaffolding were not very stable at the time we arrived,” said Cheung Kwok-kuen, assistant divisional officer of the Sai Kung fire station. “It could a danger to rescuers. We used a life detector and search dog to ensure no one was trapped.”
He said the man was wearing a safety harness and authorities were investigating the cause of the accident.
The Labour Department said it immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receiving a report of the accident and an investigation was under way.