HONG KONG, Oct 25 — Residents and vendors surrounding Citywalk shopping centre in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, are demanding enhanced safety inspections following a serious incident in which a large glass panel fell from the building’s external wall, injuring four people.
According to South China Morning Post, the incident occurred yesterday when a panel measuring approximately two by three metres dislodged from the fifth floor and plummeted to the ground around 6.40pm.
The scene of the incident has been cordoned off to the public, and witnesses reported hearing two distinct “bangs” just seconds apart as the glass fell.
Local fruit vendor Huang, who operates her stall across the street, said the incident could have been far worse, potentially resulting in fatalities.
“I didn’t know what was happening at the time. I was working here, then I heard a loud bang as a piece of glass fell,” she was quoted as saying.
The response from local authorities was swift, with contractors erecting bamboo scaffolding around the area and covering the gap left by the fallen glass with wooden slabs.
Other vendors, who witnessed the aftermath, described the scene as chaotic.
One vendor recounted seeing injured individuals, including a woman from Tai Fook Jewellery, who sought refuge in a nearby store, clearly distressed from her injuries.
The timing of the incident raised concerns, as the area is usually bustling with pedestrians, especially in the evenings when people are returning home or dining out.
The community’s calls for increased safety measures were echoed by residents like Kit Wong who urged the shopping centre management to conduct regular inspections and maintenance to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“I will not want to walk on that side of the road now, after this incident,” Wong said.
In response to the incident, the Buildings Department told SCMP that they were notified by police approximately 50 minutes after the glass fell.
Inspectors were dispatched immediately to assess the situation, finding no significant risk to the building’s overall structure.
However, they instructed the shopping centre’s management to engage a contractor for the removal of remaining loose glass and to evaluate the other glass cladding on the building.
Furthermore, the Buildings Department plans to issue an investigation order requiring the building’s owner to appoint an authorised person to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report along with a proposed remedial action plan.
The department also said it has committed to maintaining contact with the property management to oversee the progress of these essential safety measures.