Mirror concert accident: authorities clamp down on mid-air installations at venues after Hong Kong dancer suffers serious injuries
- Concert producer breaks silence, expresses sadness over tragedy and adds he is working with authorities
- Mirror group leader speaks about accident and appeals to fans to concentrate on the injured
Officials are to tighten up supervision of stage design and ban the use of mid-air installations as an interim measure to ensure safety after two dancers at a concert by Canto-pop boy band Mirror were injured last week, one of them seriously.
The news came as Mirror members on Monday rallied support for one of the injured men, who is at risk of being paralysed from the neck down.
The band broke its silence just after the producer of the concert series apologised for the accident at the Hong Kong Coliseum, where a giant TV screen crashed on to the stage during a performance last Thursday.
The much awaited response from group leader Lokman Yeung and some of his 11 bandmates followed a warning from the culture minister to the contractors of Mirror’s now-cancelled concert series not to try and avoid any responsibility for the accident.
A task force set up to investigate the incident held its first meeting on Monday with police and culture chief Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said he expected it would uncover the truth in a few weeks.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced after the meeting that it would tell organisers who rented its venues before the end of September to comply with three interim measures that would take effect from Tuesday.
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The measures included a review of stage design and mechanical installations to ensure the safety of the performers, workers and the audience.
All mid-air mechanical devices designed to swing, rotate or carry people will be banned and promoters will also be required to appoint an authorised individual approved by the department to review the safety of mechanical installations daily.
The rules at present do not mention the inspection frequency.
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The department said it had appointed Szeto Ka-sing, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers’ mechanical, marine, naval architecture and chemical division, and material testing expert Dr Eric Lim Chaw-hyon to join the task force, which also includes labour, engineering and cultural officials.
Sources close to the investigation said the giant screen was moving when it fell on the two dancers and that tests would be carried out to assist the investigation.
They added another meeting would be held later this week.
One of the sources said an aim of the task force’s investigation was to review stage safety in Hong Kong and decide if there was a need to strengthen regulations.
Lo Kok-keung, a retired engineer from Polytechnic University, told the Post that two kinds of tests could be used to uncover the cause of the accident.
“The wire could be examined for its tensile strength, to see if it could pull [the weight of the screen],” Lo explained.
“The wire rope clip could also be examined to see if it had cracks or was loose. The test would be to find out if the material had experienced metal fatigue.”
Four days after the accident, Lokman Yeung posted a black screen on his Instagram account with a message that was subsequently shared among the bandmates: “We will take care of each other. Please don’t worry.”
He also wrote: “Many thanks to all those who have helped us, the company, colleagues, seniors and peers in the entertainment industry, no matter if we are familiar with one another or not. They have tried their best and have stayed with us.”
Yeung also appealed to his followers to gather their blessings for the injured performers.
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Earlier, Francis Lam Ho-yuen, the producer responsible for the group’s We Are Live Concert 2022, also broke his silence, denying public accusations that he was evading accountability, saying he was working with government departments as part of the investigation.
Lam also said he reserved the right to take legal action against false allegations and information circulating online.
“This performance was a heavy blow to my team and me. It is heartbreaking,” Lam said on social media on Monday.
“I apologise to the victims and their families, to all audiences who witnessed this incident, to the artists and dancers troubled by this and to all the partners I’ve worked with.”
The seriously injured dancer, Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, suffered a brain haemorrhage and fractured the fourth vertebrae in his neck, according to sources. He has undergone two major operations at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.
Lee’s parents visited him for a second day on Monday, the Post learned. They arrived in Hong Kong from Canada on Sunday and obtained an exemption to leave their hotel temporarily during their seven-day compulsory quarantine.
Lee was in a critical condition with stable vital signs on Monday, a Hospital Authority spokesman said. The other injured dancer was discharged on Friday.
A medical source said Lee had to remain “under sedation” for up to a week, as any movement, including breathing, was dangerous as it took time to stabilise a fractured spine after surgery.
The source said Lee, who risks being left paralysed from the neck down, was at present “on tube” – using a ventilator to help him breathe.
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The source added Lee was categorised as “critical” because he was on a ventilator, but repeated that he was in the normal vital signs range.
The accident happened during the fourth of 12 concerts. The rest were cancelled and the organisers said ticket costs would be refunded.
So far, three subcontractors – Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering Company, In Technical Productions and Art Design And Production – named by concert organisers MakerVille and Music Nation have issued statements denying involvement in the set-up of the massive screens or the supply of the cables used to suspend them.
Main contractor Engineering Impact said it could not comment on the matter as it was still under investigation.
The culture secretary told another radio show that authorities had a list of the names of contractors and promised to uncover the cause of the accident.
He added that his earlier observation at the site was that one of the two wires supporting the screen that fell had snapped while the other had loosened and a corner of the video panel was damaged from the fall.
Yeung said police would be responsible for looking into any negligence or criminal elements in the case and that the Labour Department would follow up on whether employers had properly protected staff.
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Venue owner the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would ascertain the cause of the accident and study how to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future, he added.
In an another incident in South Korea echoing the dangers of stage production, a venue staff member at rapper Psy’s Summer Swag concert on Sunday fell about 15 metres (49 feet) as he removed a light tower set up at Gangneung Stadium, Gangneung.
The Mongolian man, in his 20s, was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead by doctors.
Additional reporting by Angel Woo
