More than 11,000 Hong Kong Mirror fans sign online petition urging safety checks after Frankie Chan falls on stage
- Singer fell while giving a speech during the Canto-pop group’s concert series at Hong Kong Coliseum but was not seriously injured
- Concertgoers report seeing a suspended bridge without safety rails, holding members Keung To and Jeremy Lau, sway during performance
Fans of Canto-pop band Mirror are concerned about safety measures at the group’s ongoing concert series after singer Frankie Chan Sui-fai fell while giving a speech to the audience. Photo: Captured from FacebookMore than 11,000 people have signed an online petition urging organisers to prioritise the safety of performers after a member of popular boy band Mirror fell off the stage during a concert on Tuesday night.
The petition was started during the group’s second day of their concert series at the Hong Kong Coliseum and accumulated 10,000 signatures within 10 hours of its launch.
On Tuesday night, Mirror member Frankie Chan Sui-fai was giving a speech on a raised platform when he accidentally stepped off the edge of the stage and fell.
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“I think the whole Coliseum was terrified,” said Connie, a fan who witnessed the accident.
The fan, who only gave her first name, added that thankfully, Chan was caught by someone waiting in a hole below the stage and was not seriously injured.
The incident did not disrupt the concert, as Chan immediately got back on his feet and reassured fans he was fine.
The 33-year-old singer posted a picture of himself on social media soon after the mishap, smiling and showing that he had scraped his left arm.
“Sorry for making everyone worried. I was too absorbed in my speech. I only scratched myself a bit. I’m a lucky man,” Chan wrote.
He later posted another picture of himself wearing a microphone, saying that he was “ready to get back up on stage again”.
K, a fan of Chan who was not at the arena at the time of the accident, said she was scared when she first heard the news.
“I kept monitoring social media for updates,” she said.
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Chan said that he went to the doctor after the concert, who checked his bruises and said they were fine.
However, this was not the first issue to spark concerns for performers’ safety.
A few days before the show opened, some dancers for Mirror allegedly posted their discontent on social media, though it was unclear if they complained about safety concerns. There were also rumours that one dancer had to pull out of the show because of an injury obtained the day before the concert series began.
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Netizens observed that on the opening night of the concert, member Anson Kong Ip-sang appeared to briefly lose his balance on another rising platform when it wobbled.
Kong and band members Jeremy Lau Ying-ting and Keung To also seemed to miss a few dance steps while on a fenceless bridge-like structure which hung mid-air on the first day of the show on Monday.
The structure was not used on the second day, Connie said.
The ongoing change.org petition titled “Concerned over safety issues at the Mirror concert” expressed fans’ distress over the highly-anticipated shows.
“We hope the organiser will tackle the problem head-on and protect the safety of all performers, including Mirror members and all dancers,” the petition read.
It also called for the organisers to do safety checks of the structures on stage, asking them to stop using platforms or stage scenery if it wasn’t necessary.
“We believe that all Mirror fans that come to the show would rather they simply perform on stage without anyone getting hurt,” the petition said.
Many fans said they were worried about the seemingly unsafe stage and that it would affect their ability to enjoy the performance.
“It’s my first time worrying about the singers’ safety instead of the quality of the concert,” one of the petitioners, who gave their name as Hayley Wong, commented.
“I hope for no more accidents. Safety is the most important thing. There are still more shows coming. I hope that they are safe and well,” said K, who said they will attend a show in the concert series, which is set to run until next week.