Transport Department demands to know why Western Harbour Tunnel Company took 45 minutes to spot broken down truck in deadly Hong Kong smash

Performance pledge on company’s website promises staff at scene of incident in three minutes and a vehicle removed in no more than six

Truck broke down on West Kowloon Highway near Elements shopping centre at 9.30am, but tunnel area management company only found out at 10.12am

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The Transport Department is demanding to know why a broken down truck was left in the middle lane of a highway for almost 45 minutes on Monday, resulting in a fatal crash. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 11:15pm, 5 Mar 2019Updated: 2:14pm, 6 Mar 2019

The Transport Department wants the Western Harbour Tunnel Company to explain why it took almost 45 minutes to notice a broken down truck on a highway it manages – later the scene of a fatal accident when a double-decker bus smashed into the stricken vehicle.

The drivers of both vehicles were killed and 16 others injured in the crash on the West Kowloon Highway near Elements shopping centre at 10.23am on Monday.

The company said on Tuesday it was told a truck was broken down at 10.12am. Its control room immediately turned on an overhead warning sign and sent a recovery vehicle to the scene.

The company did not explain why it took more than 30 minutes to notice the truck, which had broken down just before 9.30am.

The crash site is covered by the tunnel’s CCTV system and there is no blind spot

Transport Department spokesman

A “performance pledge” on the company’s website said it would take no more than three minutes for staff to arrive at the scene of an incident within the tunnel area.