Hong Kong worker dies in Christmas Day tragedy at landfill site after becoming trapped between truck and bridge
- Man, 60, working at North East New Territories Landfill, dies in incident involving garbage truck and stone abutment of bridge
- Labour and environmental protection departments investigating cause of incident at site in Ta Kwu Ling
A Hong Kong worker died on Monday after he was trapped between a truck and part of a bridge at a landfill site in the New Territories, which has sparked an inquiry by the authorities into the cause, with a report to be submitted within five days.
Police said they received a call from one of the worker’s colleagues at the North East New Territories Landfill in Ta Kwu Ling at around 2pm.
The colleague told officers that the victim, a man aged 60, was caught between a garbage truck and the stone abutment of a bridge.
The victim was unconscious when his coworkers pulled him free, the force said.
The man was rushed to North District Hospital in Sheung Shui for treatment, but confirmed dead at around 3pm.
The victim was employed by a contractor who operated the North West New Territories Transfer Station at the landfill site.
The Labour Department said hours after the incident that it had deployed staff to the scene immediately after being notified and that it was carrying out an investigation into the incident.
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) said on Monday night that the department had “immediately instructed the contractor to fully cooperate with the Labour Department in its investigation and submit a report on the accident within five days”.
The EPD, which will carry out a separate investigation into the death, has contacted the victim’s family to offer condolences and provide help.
The contractor will also provide emergency compensation to the family of the man.
Samuel Chui Ho-kwong, the EPD director, also expressed deep sorrow over the death and extended his condolences to the family of the victim.
