Hong Kong airport told to step up train safety after girl’s platform gap fall
A girl aged about five or six years stepped into the gap at a platform while boarding a driverless train last year
Authorities have ordered the operator of Hong Kong airport to step up safety measures for its driverless trains after a child stepped into the gap between the platform and a carriage last year but was quickly pulled out by other passengers.
The Airport Authority said that while it had found no evidence of a cover-up of the accident by staff, it had taken disciplinary action against the relevant staff for not being alert enough to report the incident in time and document it properly.
The government, which said it was highly concerned about the accident, announced on Monday that it had finished a review of an investigation report and related supplementary information submitted by the authority.
The incident took place in November last year when a girl, said to be about five or six years old, reportedly stepped into the gap at a platform while boarding a train of the airport’s automated people mover (APM).
An authority investigation found that the girl was immediately pulled out of the gap by other passengers. The train’s operation was not interrupted and carriage doors closed as scheduled. The safety mechanism was not triggered.
The authority did not receive a complaint or injury report filed by the girl’s family.