Sensor failure suspected cause of collapsed gate that killed security guard in Hong Kong
- Engineering expert says falling structure could generate 816kg of force at speed faster than human reaction time
- Head of industrial accident concern group urges authorities to enforce detailed checks at similar structures citywide
A fatal accident involving the collapse of a motorised metal gate at a government health centre in Hong Kong may have been caused by sensor failure, according to an engineering expert.
On Monday night, a gate measuring 4.7 by 2.5 metres (15 by 8 feet) at Yaumatei Maternal and Child Health Centre fell and killed a 43-year-old female security guard named Ngai Yuk-kwan. The case has been classified as an industrial accident and a police investigation is under way.
A government spokesman on Wednesday night said inspections would be carried out on all similar large-scale electric sliding gates at government premises to ensure safe operation. The checks were expected to take two weeks.
The Housing Authority, Housing Society, Hospital Authority, Urban Renewal Authority, MTR Corporation and Airport Authority will also conduct similar checks, while the Buildings Department will write to property management companies to urge them to carry out similar inspections.
The 43-year-old security guard was the breadwinner of her family, devoting two-thirds of her HK$14,000 (US$1,785) monthly income to taking care of her mother and bedridden father, according to Cheung Pui-ying, the victim’s 74-year-old mother.
