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Wynna Wong

A Hong Kong construction worker was killed on Wednesday morning after a wall collapsed during demolition work at a village house in Yuen Long, as labour authorities stepped in to investigate the city’s third fatal industrial incident in four days.
Police said they received a call at 10.58am that the perimeter wall of a house on Shan Pui Road had collapsed.
The wall, measuring about two metres (6.5 ft) high, eight metres long and one metre wide, had fallen during demolition work and crushed the worker.
The woman, who was in her forties, was pulled from the rubble by rescuers and rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, but was pronounced dead at 12.46pm.
Police said the case had been classified as an industrial accident.
The Labour Department said it was investigating the fatal accident and had dispatched staff to the scene upon receiving the report.
“[We] have issued a suspension notice to the contractor concerned, suspending the demolition work,” it said in a statement.
It said the contractor would not be allowed to resume work until “the department was satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks had been taken”.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims expressed its “deep concern and grief” over the tragedy and said it had sent staff to the scene and hospital to provide support to family members.
“The association urges the Labour Department and the Buildings Department to conduct a thorough investigation and publicly announce the cause of the accident to prevent similar incidents from recurring,” a spokesman said, adding that the construction industry had seen at least 16 worker deaths since January this year.
Recent demolition accidents include two incidents in 2023.
In November that year, a 62-year-old worker was killed after slabs of concrete fell on him during demolition work at a village house.
Three months before that, a worker was trapped by a collapsed wall while demolishing a building structure, also in Yuen Long.
Wednesday’s accident was also the city’s third fatal industrial incident in the past four days.
Authorities on Monday suspended a contractor from tendering for any public works projects and launched an investigation a day after a 47-year-old worker fell nine storeys to his death from bamboo scaffolding at a construction site in Sau Mau Ping.

It was the same location where three other workers were killed in 2022 when a 65-tonne tower crane collapsed.
On Tuesday, a 68-year-old drainage worker also died after becoming trapped while working in a manhole in Mong Kok.
Police are investigating whether he had inhaled unknown gases, which may have caused him to fall unconscious.
Asked about the three fatal accidents, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said authorities would “seriously” investigate each incident and emphasised the importance of safety guidelines alongside promoting public awareness, education and inspection.
Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioner president Lee Kwong-sing said the group was concerned by the number of fatal industrial accidents that had occurred over the past few days.
In a list of recommendations to prevent further incidents, Lee said an engineer should first conduct an assessment and formulate a demolition plan for such works.
That plan should include ensuring there was sufficient temporary support to brace the wall and prevent a sudden collapse during demolition, Lee said.
He also said workers must strictly follow plans formulated by engineers and should not skip any steps.
Generally, brick walls should be demolished in sections, starting at the top and working downward.
No one should stand behind a section while demolition work is in progress.
Works on village houses should also comply with standards laid out in the Buildings Ordinance and be carried out by a registered contractor, while a registered technically competent person should be appointed to supervise such works.


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Accidents and personal safety in Hong Kong

Hong Kong worker killed during demolition work, third industrial death in 4 days

The woman was killed after the perimeter wall of the village house in Yuen Long collapsed during demolition works. Photo: Handout

The worker was pulled from the rubble by rescuers and rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, but was pronounced dead at 12.46pm. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong suspends contractor after worker falls from scaffolding and dies

The accident was reported at 3.20pm on Sunday after the worker reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding. Photo: Handout

The case is being treated as an industrial accident. Photo: Handout

Fire breaks out at construction site in Hong Kong’s Kai Tak

A screengrab of footage of the fire at the construction site in Kai Tak. Photo: Handout

The blaze was put out at 10.58am. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Society

Construction worker in her forties crushed to death as perimeter wall collapses during demolition work at village house in Yuen Long


Construction worker in her forties crushed to death as perimeter wall collapses during demolition work at village house in Yuen Long.


China

The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims (Hong Kong)

Housing Department

Hong Kong worker killed during demolition work, third industrial death in 4 days

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Construction worker in her forties crushed to death as perimeter wall collapses during demolition work at village house in Yuen Long

Construction worker in her forties crushed to death as perimeter wall collapses during demolition work at village house in Yuen Long