MTR service disrupted on Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong line after schoolgirl’s leg trapped in platform gap
- Girl sent to hospital after incident at Lam Tin station
- Service delayed for estimated 10-15 minutes
Rescuers had to free a schoolgirl after her leg got trapped in the gap between an MTR train and the platform at Lam Tin station on Tuesday afternoon.
The girl, who appeared to be of primary school age, was sent to hospital after the incident.
Train services on the Kwun Tong line were delayed at about 4.15pm as firefighters and MTR staff worked to free the girl’s left leg. There was an estimated 10-15 minute delay on the service from Whampoa station to Tiu Keng Leng.
An MTR spokesman said the incident had been dealt with by 4.38pm and service on the line was gradually resuming.
Videos and photos posted on Facebook showed a young girl in a pink school uniform trapped between a train and the platform.
About 10 firefighters, police and MTR staff were at the scene helping the girl. The rescue effort took about 30 minutes.
“Little girl, lift your leg up slowly,” a man in a red T-shirt said.
Her left knee was wrapped in a bandage after she was freed and she was helped into a wheelchair. A video posted online with a timestamp of 4.49pm showed police and firefighters leaving the scene.
According to the MTR, the girl missed her step when she was about to get on the train and got her left leg trapped. She thought someone had pushed her from behind so she lost her balance. She said her knee and left leg ached. The train was emptied as rescuers worked to free the girl’s leg.
According to police, the girl was sent to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong and her family was being contacted.
This was not the first time there was an incident involving a passenger at a platform gap. It has been a particular problem on the East Rail line, where gaps can be as wide as 30cm, according to a government report from 2015.
Gaps are necessary to prevent moving trains from hitting platforms on arrival and departure at stations. To enhance safety, the MTR installed fillers at the edge of 253 platforms to narrow the gap by between 2.4cm and 10cm. But accidents have continued to happen.
Additional reporting by Kanis Leung
