Editorial | Price to pay for concrete falling from Hong Kong buildings
The latest injury, in a busy area of Hong Kong, underlines the need for tougher action on owners who fail to act on government orders
Hong Kong is famous for its towering skyscrapers and crowded urban environment. The need to ensure buildings are properly maintained, to prevent debris falling, is self-evident. But it remains a problem.
On Friday, a 79-man-year old man was injured by concrete that fell from the seventh floor of a building in bustling Causeway Bay.
This was no isolated case. A spate of such accidents occurred in the summer of 2023. The latest is a reminder that while the government has stepped up action and proposed reforms, danger continues to lurk.
Owners of the property failed to comply with a mandatory inspection notice issued in 2020. This is a common problem. But change is on the way. Proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance are the subject of a continuing public consultation.
Among the suggestions are new or increased penalties for owners who fail to act on notices or orders from the Buildings Department.
As the consultation document states, there is a need to clearly and strongly convey the message that such requirements must be taken seriously. The compliance rate – just 41 per cent for the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme – is shockingly low.
