Anger, apology over cat's tragic tale

Wallis Wang

An apology by a renovation company, Taste Interior Design, failed to quell public outrage after the collapse of a television wall it had installed apparently led to the death of a pet cat.

The cat's owner, Chris, posted on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon, accusing the company of negligence in the TV cabinet installation after his beloved Ah Po got hit as the wall fell.

Chris said the incident was caused by human error that should have been avoided. His post was accompanied by a photo showing only two screws were used to attach the TV to the wall.

"As a professional renovation company, they should know how to install the television wall safely and correctly. They should have made sure that each step was done correctly but they never did," Chris said.

He also said the company did not apologize and only offered to help the family install a new cabinet, adding that the company tried to pass the buck to an old renovation worker and requested him to pay HK$20,000 as compensation.

In response, the company's operator issued three apologies in a video posted on social media early yesterday while claiming it was difficult to ascertain the cause of the accident.

A man surnamed Ng, who claimed to be the company's design director, said in the video that the company had never encountered anything similar before and colleagues were upset by the incident.

Ng said the TV wall was installed two years ago. Upon learning about the incident, the company sent workers immediately to check. They had apologized and offered to fix the wall.

Ng said the company did not reach a compensation agreement with Chris' family.

The worker who installed the wall also made a tearful apology and offered to pay HK$20,000 in compensation, Ng said.

Following the incident, the company will contact clients using hanging furniture and offer a one-time free examination on furniture safety, Ng said. He urged clients to reach out to the company if they find shakes or tilts.

Despite the apology, people online continued to criticize the company, asserting that the cause of the accident was "obvious."

Interior designer Tim Ho Wai-lap believes the collapse was caused by insufficient supporting points of the TV wall, and that installation workers had rushed through.

"Even the TV wall mount was not securely mounted on the load-bearing wall. Also, the TV was movable, which is easier to cause loosening and collapse," Ho said.

He suggested homeowners communicate with designers and renovation companies about the procedures in advance and take photos of each step.