The MTR Corporation was under fire for sending employees into flooded tunnels at the Wong Tai Sin station for repair work, after photos surfaced online showing chest-deep water inside the tunnels.

Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu, an engineer who served as operations manager at the railway operator, blasted MTR management for forcing frontline staff to travel to Wong Tai Sin station during terrible weather conditions, disregarding the safety of its employees.

Water began flowing into the platform of Wong Tai Sin station from midnight, with an exit leading to Wong Tai Sin Centre almost completely flooded to the ceiling in the morning.

Zhang said he had received a call for assistance from the staffers sent into the tunnels in the early hours of today, along with photos showing a number of workers working in the tunnel, submerged in chest-deep water.

One of the photos even showed the workers trying to navigate inside the tunnel with only their heads above water.

“[If I was still working for the MTRC,] I would not allow any of my colleagues to risk their lives and enter the flooded tunnels unless there is a necessity to save lives and avert damage,” said Zhang, adding that he had called the management of the railway operator requesting their intervention.

Responding to inquiries, the MTR Corporation said that when planning maintenance operations, the group must prioritize employee safety. The company also said that electricity isolation procedures had been implemented prior to conducting the maintenance work.

Lawmaker slams MTR for sending staff into flooded tunnels