Hong Kong student in deadly car park fall went to building to watch nearby protest, inquest hears
- Investigators revealed conversations Alex Chow had with online users before his death, showing he wanted to ‘give something to others’ but he did not elaborate
- Circumstances surrounding death still a mystery as no clear footage of incident is available
A university student in Hong Kong who suffered fatal injuries in a car park fall last year had gone to the building to watch an anti-government protest nearby, an inquest heard on Tuesday.
Investigators revealed part of the conversations between Alex Chow Tsz-lok and others on social media early on November 4, 2019, moments before he was found with severe head injuries at a multistorey car park in Tseung Kwan O.
Conversation records also showed the 22-year-old Hong Kong University of Science and Technology student had left for the car park to “give something to others”, but he did not elaborate.
The Coroner’s Court was earlier told Chow had roamed the Sheung Tak Estate car park while using his smartphone between 12.39am and 1am. During that period, police attempted to disperse protesters at a nearby junction by firing tear gas and other anti-riot weapons.
He was believed to have fallen four metres (13 feet) from the car park’s third floor at about 1.01am, but it remains unclear how he fell as no security camera was able to fully capture the incident. He died in hospital four days later.
Digital data taken from Chow’s iPad revealed the student was earlier that night chatting with a number of people via Telegram, a messaging app popular among protesters.
The court heard Chow sent a message in a group of six users at 12.41am, saying police fired tear gas at the car park. A member with the username “Tsz Kit” asked: “Will you be able to return [to your home]?”