Negligence suspected in sewer gas deaths

Two construction workers were found dead from sewer gas poisoning after going missing for 14 hours while working in an underground pipe, with the victims' families accusing the contractor of negligence.

The 200-meter-long seawater pipe, with a diameter of five meters, links with the air-conditioning system of the MTR Corp's Elements mall on Austin Road West in West Kowloon.

The victims - Lau, 63, and Kwok, 61, who worked for a contractor - had been missing for more than 14 hours after they showed up on Saturday morning but did not get off work on time that afternoon.

Yet the alarm was not raised until 7.30am yesterday when police and firemen received a report.

Then the pair were found unconscious at 8am between the 100- and 200-meter marks of the pipe six meters below ground.

Eight fire rescue vehicles plus two ambulances were deployed to the scene, which was when the hydrogen sulfide was detected. Firemen spent an hour draining the gas and recovering the workers.

Lau and Kwok were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where they were certified dead.

Siu Sin-man, head of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, said: "They would usually get off work at 5pm and arrive home at 6pm. But they never went home, and their families were looking for them."

The workers' employer only found out that something was amiss when family members called him at 6am yesterday.

MTRC said the victims were working on a maintenance project for Elements' underground pipes that was being handled by an air-conditioning contractor.

MTRC said it was ready to help in an investigation.

The Labour Department suspended all work in the pipe and launched an investigation. A spokesman said: "We will complete an investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain liability and recommend improvement measures. We will take action according to the law if there has been any violation of work safety."

Siu said it was "ridiculous and totally unacceptable" that the contractor had not known the workers ran into difficulties while working underground.

"There is no reason that the employer arranged for staff to work and had no idea when they didn't come out. There should be two colleagues in constant contact with those working in a confined space."

Kwok's widow said she had tried to contact her husband's supervisor after he did not return home, and now it was difficult for her to accept his death.

She asked as she wept at the hospital: "Why didn't anyone know some workers did not get off work? There should be records, and who is responsible for that?"

Their children had just started working and her husband decided to continue in his job to help relieve financial pressures.

"Now we don't have money and my husband had passed away," she said. "I'm the only one left, and what should I do? I can't believe that a healthy person died suddenly.

"I have bought mooncakes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, but celebrating has become a dream."

Lau's son said his father had worked in the construction sector for over 30 years. He had been a good father and they planned to go yum cha together yesterday.

He accused the contractor of negligence as he had not been able to inform the Lau and Kwok families something had gone terribly wrong, and they only heard about the situation from police.

He asked: "Shouldn't there be someone monitoring the situation when workers are in confined spaces? How come no one knew two people failed to get off work? Where was the supervisor?"

Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union safety adviser Lee Kwong-sing said it was "strange" no one found out the two workers had been inside the pipe overnight.

Underground workers should wear a device that will sound an alarm if someone does not move for 20 seconds, he said, adding they would not be allowed to work underground for over eight hours.

"The whole system broke down as the contractor did not know there were two workers in the pipe and the ventilation system also did not work," he said.

Engineer Wong King, a former president of the Hong Kong Institute of Utility Specialists, said the tragedy might have been caused by leaks from a nearby drain.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com