Russian roulette on streets of fear

Spalling concrete raining down from a Mong Kok building was a most unwelcome reminder of building safety.

It is lucky no one was injured in the second incident involving an upper floor of Po On Building on Mong Kok Road on Wednesday.

On Sunday, chunks of concrete raining down from the same building struck a lorry and injured the driver.

It was sheer luck that the driver escaped more serious injuries.

But in other incidents involving objects falling from a height, others were less fortunate.

In February, an elderly woman died after she was hit on the head by a falling metal bar on Cheung Wong Road in Mong Kok.

Such incidents are preventable and must not be allowed to happen.

There was a familiar ring when Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho expressed grave concern about the double incidents and asked the Buildings Department to step up building inspection and enforcement action.

In the past, every time someone was killed or hurt by falling concrete Linn’s numerous predecessors came out with the same, rather standard, official reaction.

Although similar words have been said a number of times, chunks of concrete have continued to break away from the exterior of old buildings, creating a kind of Russian roulette for pedestrians.

This is an acute problem for Hong Kong as the city is famous for its high-rise density.

As government offi cials responsible for building safety talk the talk, they must also learn from the latest incidents and walk the walk.

The city does not need another Po On-type lesson.

Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei have a large concentration of the city’s oldest multi-story buildings – it is estimated that as many as 65 percent of those in the two districts were built at least 50 years ago.

Numerous casualties over the years have led to previous administrations passing legislation requiring owners to inspect and repair their buildings.

As the legal provisions are already in place, it is only a question of how vigorous the concerned government authorities are prepared to enforce them.

If the authorities – in the current case, the Development Bureau and Buildings Department – fail to enforce the mandatory inspection and repair orders that have been issued for old buildings, citizens will have to continue to walk the streets in fear, not knowing when a chunk or two of concrete could fall off and hit them as they walk past.

Buildings Department staff carrying out inspections must be meticulous in their work to ensure the Po On Building double whammy does not happen again.

It’s not only about avoiding embarrassment to the department – it could also be a matter of life or death.