Concrete chunk punches hole through roof of bus

A 47-year-old man responsible for the renovation work of Sun Hing Building in Mong Kok has been arrested hours after a concrete slab fell from the 57-year-old building and punched through the roof of a KMB bus - the second such incident in 11 days.

No one was injured but a 30-centimeter hole was left in the roof of the double-decker.

The route 30X bus was traveling along Nathan Road heading to Sham Shui Po when a concrete slab measuring 12.7 centimeters by 12.7cm fell on its roof at 9.21am.

The driver then called police and assisted passengers to transfer to other buses while the bus was returned to the depot, KMB said.

Sources at the scene said construction work was being carried out on the 17th floor of the building. The safety net surrounding the building appeared to have a hole.

After investigation, police arrested the renovation worker in charge, surnamed Liu, who was suspected of causing objects to fall from height.

Police are also investigating whether someone threw the concrete slab down.

A tenant surnamed Yeung, who has been living in the building for four years, said the repair work has already gone on for more than six months.

Yeung said workers did not immediately clean up concrete or mud during the repairs but left them on the scaffolding.

"I could hear concrete falling every day ... the sound was so loud I couldn't sleep. [The debris] was finally cleared today, maybe because of the incident."

In the previous case on July 29, chunks of concrete spalled off a canopy of the building at about 8am to a bus stop on the pavement. No one was waiting for buses at the time and police said no pedestrians or passing vehicles were hit.

The Buildings Department said the concrete that fell yesterday might belong to a part of the scaffolding that had been removed by the contractor during the renovation work.

"The department will conduct an investigation into the incident and take appropriate action if there are breaches to the Buildings Ordinance," it said.

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers' former president Aaron Bok Kwok-ming called on owners to seek professionals to carry out inspections of old buildings to avoid similar incidents, "otherwise they may be liable if there are casualties caused by falling concrete."

He said concrete incidents happen each year, but the hot weather and heavier rainfalls this year might be the reason for the increase in frequency of such incidents.

Institution president Barry Lee Chi-hong said authorities can inspect buildings with drones to identify those that pose an immediate threat and notify owners to follow up.

Lee said "in the long run, it is also necessary to step up education on public awareness of the importance of maintaining old buildings," adding that the institution had proposed that the government introduce the use of high technology to assist in inspections.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com