Building inspector group finds over half of 50 old buildings on HK Island pose immediate danger

The Hong Kong Institution of Building Inspectors said over half of the 50 old buildings they inspected in the Eastern District on Hong Kong Island were found posing immediate danger, with the result referred to authorities for follow-up action.

The group said on Monday that the 50 buildings they inspected were "three-nil" buildings aged 40 years above and have been issued government notice to undergo mandatory inspections.

Half of the buildings were found to pose an immediate danger, including spalling of concrete, rendering, and tiles, along with cracks found on the building’s structural elements.

DAB lawmaker Edward Leung Hei said, given the inspection results, authorities should shorten the five-year timeline of its Operation Building Bright to two years to support the commissioning of the inspection and repair works of the buildings in Hong Kong.

He also suggested authorities introduce a new measure to first classify the buildings into five categories according to their conditions after inspections before prioritizing dealing with buildings posing an immediate danger.