Foreign worker dead after fall from Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge
Another man missing after platform collapse at site of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau link
Speedboats, divers and a helicopter were all searching on Wednesday night for a foreign worker missing and feared dead after plunging into the sea in an accident at the site of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.
One of his colleagues died in the accident, and a third man had to be rescued after the fall, near the airport.
The trio were working on a 15-metre-long metal platform secured under the bridge by cables when the platform fell into the sea at about 3.30pm, police said.
They had been wearing life jackets, and been hooked to the platform with harnesses.
One of the men was found and pulled from the water by firemen at about 7pm, police said. He was taken unconscious to North Lantau Hospital, where he was certified dead at about 7.45pm.
“One of the three men managed to disconnect his harness and swam back to the site,” the source said. “It is possible his two colleagues were unable to release the harness and sank together with the platform.”
One of the men was African, the other South Asian.
In addition to five police launches, the Fire Services Department sent a fireboat and two speedboats to the rescue.
At about 6.30pm, a team of divers from the fire department went into the water to search for the men. The Government Flying Service sent a helicopter to help the search.
The rescued worker was slightly injured and was taken to North Lantau Hospital, while hooked to an oxygen mask.
According to police, another two workers were injured by snapped cables at the site, which is about 1km west of the airport.
They were hurt in the leg and body and they were conscious while being airlifted to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment, a police spokesman said.
The Labour Department said its staff went to the scene upon receiving a report of the accident, and were already investigating its cause.
At least eight people have died on the project since it began in 2011.
In April last year, a worker, 35, died after falling into the sea from a height of 15 metres.
