30 buildings to undergo emergency repairs by mid-September, Hong Kong’s development chief vows, after string of falling concrete cases
- Development chief Bernadette Linn promises to crack down on those who fail to carry out checks without reasonable excuse by end of year
- Warning comes after falling concrete incidents sparked calls for tougher penalties on building owners
Hong Kong authorities will by mid-September carry out emergency repairs on 30 buildings that have failed to comply with mandatory inspection orders, the city’s development minister has said following a string of incidents involving falling concrete.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Saturday also conceded that authorities had been lenient on prosecuting building owners in the past, but she vowed to crack down on those who failed to carry out checks without a reasonable excuse by the end of the year.
“In the past, we were more lenient and allowed more time for owners to carry out their duty,” she told a radio show. “But in the future, we will strengthen our efforts by having more prosecutions in a faster manner.”
The minister’s warning comes after a string of incidents involving concrete falling off buildings, sparking calls for tougher penalties on owners and more government intervention.
In the latest case, concrete fell off the scaffolding-clad Sun Hing Building in Mong Kok on Tuesday for the second time in 10 days, ripping a hole in the roof of a bus. No injuries were reported.
“We sent drones to inspect the external walls of ‘three-nil buildings’ that are facing the main roads and have been complained about before,” Linn said, referring to blocks which do not have owners’ corporations or residents’ organisations, or have not engaged property management companies.
“If risks are identified, we will carry out emergency repairs and recover the costs from the owners later,” she said, adding a total of 30 buildings had been singled out in the first batch.