Airport Authority fails to report people mover incident involving young girl in late 2023

Recent reports have surfaced that the Hong Kong International Airport's Automated People Mover experienced three incidents since late 2023, including a distressing event where a young child nearly fell onto the tracks. The incidents have raised concerns about safety and transparency at the facility.

In one of the incidents, which took place in November 2023, a girl aged approximately 5 to 6 years old fell into the gap between the people mover and the platform at the SkyPier Terminal.

A footage captured the child's entire body falling into the gap, with the girl managing to hold onto the floor with her hands. Fortunately, a bystander quickly intervened, pulling her to safety.

When the media initially inquired about the incident, the Airport Authority (AA) was said to have denied the occurrence. It was reported that AA only on October 2 (Wed) altered their statement and stated that in January, they received a request from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to investigate the incidents.

However, citing privacy laws, they did not retain the surveillance footage and announced that there were no new discoveries from their investigation.

In a further response on Thursday, AA said all three incidents were not subject to the reporting mechanism established between the Authority and EMSD. 

Upon communication with the on-duty staff and review of the records, AA noted that no documentation of an individual falling into the gap between the train and the platform was discovered.

AA mentioned that according to the so-called footage of the incidents, it could not be confirmed that the child fell into the gap. However, the Authority plans to conduct a further investigation and expects to submit a report to the EMSD by the end of this month.

Engineer and lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu expressed his alarm over the incidents, particularly highlighting the danger posed by the electric grid on the train tracks, which could have led to a fatal electrocution. Zhang also voiced his concern about the lack of initial reporting by the AA, questioning the internal communication and management mechanisms within the organization.

In a separate incident at the start of the year, a railroad switch ruptured, and during the summer vacation, another train emitted sparks while in operation.

(Updated at 6.55 pm)