Worker injured as scaffolding collapses in Sham Shui Po

A male construction worker was injured after a large section of scaffolding collapsed from a tenement building in Sham Shui Po on Saturday afternoon. 

The incident occurred shortly after 4pm at a building situated on Nam Cheong Street near Yu Chau Street. The lower portion of the exterior scaffolding, covering an area of approximately 15 meters by 33 meters, suddenly gave way, leaving the remaining structure hanging precariously. 

The injured worker remained conscious and was promptly transported to the hospital by emergency responders. Police and firefighters cordoned off the adjacent pavements and roads to prevent further danger, causing significant traffic congestion in the area.

According to sources at the scene, the building was undergoing exterior wall maintenance, and the scaffolding had only been recently erected. It is suspected that the collapse was triggered by workers placing a large amount of construction materials on the lower platform for standby use, which exceeded the weight capacity of the structure. 

The victim was working on the scaffolding at the time and was unable to escape, falling from a height along with the building materials. 

Locals and vendors rush to assist trapped worker

Immediately following the collapse, numerous fellow workers and neighborhood residents rushed to the scene to help rescue the trapped man. Eyewitnesses working at nearby fruit stalls recounted the frightening moments leading up to and following the incident. 

One female vendor reported hearing a massive crash accompanied by the screams of bystanders. Upon looking outside, she was shocked to see the collapsed structure, noting that the area had been incredibly busy with many pedestrians and customers just moments before.

Another fruit stall worker expressed her relief at narrowly escaping the accident. She had stepped into the back of her shop to move inventory just minutes before hearing the loud bang. When she came outside to investigate, she saw the dangerous aftermath and felt extremely fortunate to have avoided the falling debris. 

She observed the injured male worker trapped under the rubble, noting that while he did not appear to be bleeding, he was largely unable to move. Concerned that moving him might worsen his injuries, the helpful bystanders focused on carefully clearing the debris away from him and waited for paramedics to arrive and take over the rescue.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓