Hong Kong’s Telford Gardens tragedy of 1979: when 6 construction workers died after a lift cable snapped
- The men were working on one of the estate’s blocks when it is thought the lift motor malfunctioned, causing the cable to snap and dropping them seven floors to their death
“Six workers plummeted seven floors to their death yesterday when the cable of a construction lift snapped,” reported the South China Morning Post on July 23, 1979. “The victims – all men – were taking the lift up to the roof of a Telford Gardens block under construction above the Mass Transit Railway depot in Ngau Tau Kok when the accident occurred about 4.30pm.
“Site workers reported that the six were all trapped in the lift when it landed on the base of a 12-storey-high lift derrick.
“‘They were all in a heap, with blood streaming out of their noses and mouth,’ one worker said. ‘Their limbs were twisted and they could hardly move.’
“The workers were rushed to United Christian Hospital but were all certified dead. They were last night identified by their relatives as Mr Hung Leung-shing (30), Mr Wong Ping-chuen (29), Mr Wong Kin-on (22), Mr Lee Fu-lun (32), Mr Chan Tong (30), all carpenters, and Mr Ngan Tin-sing (30), [a] labourer.
“The Labour Department and Public Works Department began immediate investigations into the accident. An initial finding by labour officials showed that the cable could have snapped when the lift’s motors suddenly malfunctioned.
“The lift, licensed to carry up to 20 passengers, was used to convey building materials and workers. Officials have interviewed workers and management at the construction site of Telford Gardens, owned by Hopewell Construction Co.
