Trial begins over Hong Kong LED screen collapse
Three project managers have gone on trial over the collapse of a giant LED screen, which fell on two dancers during a concert in Hong Kong over two years ago.
One dancer was critically injured in the incident at a show by boy band Mirror at Hong Kong Coliseum in July 2022, with a second dancer also hospitalised.
Two employees of main contractor Engineering Impact (EI) and another from its Infinity Project Management arm are on trial in the district court accused of deliberately under-reporting the weight of stage equipment in an attempt to speed up the government approval process.
According to the South China Morning Post, a subsequent investigation revealed the total weight of six overhanging screens used for the performance to be 9,852.5lbs – more than double the 3,600lbs claimed by the trio, who are jointly charged with conspiracy to defraud and an alternative charge of fraud.
The court also heard that eight public address speakers reported as 1,600lbs were found to weigh a total of 12,240lbs – more than seven times more.
The remainder of the tour was cancelled in the wake of the incident
Senior public prosecutor Kelvin Tang Ming-chung said the contractor would have been paid 10% less than it received had a re-design of the roof equipment been ordered, thus causing a delay to the concert.
A former manager of the Coliseum told the court the government department responsible for the venue’s operation had not issued guidelines on standards for suspension wires, but added that EI was responsible for ensuring the equipment fulfilled legal requirements.
The Standard reports that a project manager from the supplier of the 4x4m LED screen told the court it had been tilted a day before it fell, but no one recommended removing it or stopping its use.
Cantopop band Mirror formed in 2018 and were four nights into a 12-concert tour, the remainder of which was cancelled by promoter Music Nation in the wake of the incident.
The trial, which began earlier this month and is expected to last 18 days, continues.
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Fines levied over Hong Kong video screen collapse
Three companies have been fined in connection with the incident in which a giant video screen fell on two dancers during a concert in Hong Kong.
One dancer was critically injured in the incident, which took place during a show by Cantopop boy band Mirror at Hong Kong Coliseum on 28 July 2022. A second dancer was also hospitalised but not seriously injured.
An investigation also found that another dancer suffered injuries to his chest, knee and neck after falling up to three metres during a rehearsal for the first concert on 25 July after an elevating platform failed to ascend to the stage.
The South China Morning Post reports that contractor Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering Company (HHLSEC) was fined HK$420,000 (€49.350) by a magistrate at Kowloon City Court last week after admitting six counts of failing to ensure the safety of their employees, failing to ensure that devices were safe and failing to notify authorities of accidents.
Two other firms, main contractor Engineering Impact and the Studiodanz Company, were fined $220,000 and $132,000, respectively, last November.
In mitigation for HHLSEC, Kelvin Lai Kin-wah told the court the accident was “extremely unfortunate” and the company, which had worked on thousands of events, expressed “extreme remorse”.
However, acting principal magistrate David Ko Wai-hung said Hip Hing Loong was critical of the firm’s practice of only carrying out visual inspections of suspended stage installations, stressing that it had an “unshirkable responsibility” to ensure the system could bear the weight of the LED screen.
“As stage designs become more innovative and complicated, the greater the need for professionals to supervise and manage the equipment”
“I would call this an industry loophole,” he said. “Just because it has not happened before, does not mean it will not happen in the future. As stage designs become more innovative and complicated, the greater the need for professionals to supervise and manage the equipment, instead of just relying on experience.”
In its official report released last year, a government task force concluded a wire rope tied to the LED panel snapped due to “metal fatigue”.
It stated: “The causes include (1) inferior conditions of the rope, with the breaking strength of the wire rope being lower than the lowest breaking strength of a normal one; (2) the actual weight of the LED panel being much heavier than what was reported; (3) a problematic winch installation system making the rope guard difficult to rotate, causing damage to the rope surface and inducing extra load on the rope, leading to plastic deformation; and (4) poor workmanship on the assembly and installation of the LED panel suspension system.”
Engineering Impact pleaded guilty last year to four offences, including failing to ensure that devices were safe, failing to notify the occupational safety officer of a serious accident within 24 hours and failing to give notice of an accident. Studiodanz admitted five offences, including failing to ensure the health and safety of employees, failing to give notice of accidents to employees and failing to provide them insurance coverage.
The performance by Mirror was part of a planned 12-concert run by the 12-member group. The remaining shows in the series were cancelled.
Mirror, who formed in 2018, launched their Feel The Passion Tour last week, starting off 16 shows at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld Arena between 15 January and 3 February. They will then visit the UK in March for shows at The O2 in London and Manchester’s AO Arena, with dates to follow in Macau, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Toronto.
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Prosecutions mount over Mirror video screen fall
The number of prosecutions brought over the incident in Hong Kong where a giant video screen fall on two dancers during a concert by boy band Mirror has risen to 15.
Two dancers were injured – one of them critically – in the incident at Hong Kong Coliseum on 28 July 2022. According to local media, Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, remains in hospital six months on after sustaining injuries to his cervical vertebrae, head and lungs
Following an investigation, charges have been levelled against three companies – Engineering Impact, Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering and Studiodanz. The firms are accused of breaching the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance.
Variety reports that the alleged offences included failure to provide employees with safe plant and safe systems of work, failure to notify the Commissioner for Labour of an accident and [failure] to take out employees’ compensation insurance for employees.
Three people were also charged with conspiracy to defraud in relation to the case earlier this month
The case is scheduled to be heard at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court on 27 March.
“The LD will not tolerate the above-mentioned illegal acts and will strictly enforce the law and do its utmost to protect the occupational safety and health as well as the statutory rights of employees,” says a Labour Department spokesperson.
Three people were also charged with conspiracy to defraud in relation to the case earlier this month. The trio – a woman and two men aged between 41 and 60 – are reportedly employees of Engineering Impact and will appear in court in February.
Police officers allegedly found some equipment was more than seven times the weight declared and claim the firm deliberately gave false information in order to obtain a permit for a planned 12-concert run by the 12-member boy band. The remaining shows were cancelled in the wake of the incident.
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Three charged over Hong Kong video screen fall
Three people have been charged in connection with an incident in Hong Kong where a giant video screen fall on two dancers during a concert by boy band Mirror.
One dancer was critically injured in the incident at Hong Kong Coliseum on 28 July 2022 and remains in hospital, according to local media.
The Hong Kong Free Press reports that a woman and two men aged between 41 and 60 will appear in court next month accused of conspiracy to defraud. The trio, who are reportedly employees of main contractor Engineering Impact Limited, were among five people arrested in a series of dawn raids last November. The other two people have been released “unconditionally”.
Police officers allegedly found some equipment was more than seven times the weight declared and claim the firm deliberately gave false information in order to obtain a permit for a planned 12-concert run by the 12-member boy band. The remaining shows were cancelled in the wake of the incident.
“We were of the view that they made false declaration deliberately, with the view to speed up the approval process for the show”
“The real weights of these mechanical devices were totally different from the data that was given by the company,” said Supt Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit. “So we were of the view that they made false declaration deliberately, with the view to speed up the approval process for the show.”
In its official report, a government task force led by the leisure and cultural services department concluded a wire rope tied to the LED panel snapped due to “metal fatigue”.
It stated: “The causes include (1) inferior conditions of the rope, with the breaking strength of the wire rope being lower than the lowest breaking strength of a normal one; (2) the actual weight of the LED panel being much heavier than what was reported; (3) a problematic winch installation system making the rope guard difficult to rotate, causing damage to the rope surface and inducing extra load on the rope, leading to plastic deformation; and (4) poor workmanship on the assembly and installation of the LED panel suspension system.”
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Five arrested over Hong Kong concert tragedy
Five arrests have been made in connection with the horror incident that saw a giant video screen fall on two dancers during a concert by Cantopop boy band Mirror.
Mo Lee Kai-yin was critically injured in the incident at Hong Kong Coliseum on 28 July, while Chang Tsz-fung also required hospital treatment, with the release of an official report into the causes by the authorities thought to be imminent.
However, the South China Morning Post now reports that five suspects aged between 40 and 63 were arrested in a series of dawn raids after police officers found some equipment was up to seven times the weight declared.
According to police, eight sets of speakers on the stage weighed about seven times more than principal contractor Engineering Impact Limited’s reported weight of 1,600lbs, while six LED screens weighed a total of 9,852lbs – 63% more than was reported.
“There were lots of factors that caused the accident, and the numerous underreported weights could just be one of the causes”
“There were lots of factors that caused the accident, and the numerous underreported weights could just be one of the causes,” says Supt Alan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit.
Chung has accused Engineering Impact of deliberately underreporting the weight of the stage equipment in an attempt to speed up the government approval process. He adds that the investigation also indicated that Engineering Impact and subcontractor Hip Hing Loong did not take measures to ensure the mechanical devices and cables met safety requirements.
Those arrested included staff members from both contractors, reveals a Post source.
The performance was part of a planned 12-concert run by the 12-member boy band, who formed in 2018. The remaining shows in the series were cancelled.
Mirror’s management MakerVille and show organiser Music Nation hired an independent third-party expert to look into the incident and have pledged to release further details after the results of the official investigation are released.
“We chose to hire teams considered top-notch in the industry, not cheaper, non-first-tier ones,” the companies said in a statement last month. “Cost was not our primary consideration.”
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Safety clampdown in HK after video screen fall
Mid-air installations at concerts are to be banned temporarily in Hong Kong as officials investigate the horror accident that injured two dancers at a show by Cantopop group Mirror.
Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, was critically injured when a giant video screen fell on him during the concert at Hong Kong Coliseum last week. A second dancer was also hospitalised but has since been discharged.
While the investigation remains ongoing, leisure and cultural services department taskforce has announced three interim rules for event organisers to comply with, reports the South China Morning Post.
The measures include a review of stage design and mechanical installations, while all mid-air mechanical devices “designed to swing, rotate or carry people” will be banned. Promoters must also appoint an authorised expert to review the safety of the installations daily.
A source tells the Post the taskforce’s aim is to review stage safety in Hong Kong and determine whether existing regulations need to be strengthened.
“We will look into whether the wire hit other cables or equipment when the TV screen it supported was rotating and moving up and down during the show”
Mirror’s performance was the fourth in a scheduled 12-concert run by the 12-member band, who formed in 2018. The remaining shows in the series have been cancelled, with refunds to be given to ticket-holders.
Mirror’s management MakerVille and show organiser Music Nation say they are working with authorities and the contractor and subcontractors behind the stage structures to establish what went wrong.
Hong Kong’s culture secretary Kevin Yeung said initial observations suggest the metal wire used to support the video screen had fractured, causing it to fall.
According to the Post, the subsequent investigation will focus on analysing the metal wire.
“We will… look into whether the wire hit other cables or equipment when the TV screen it supported was rotating and moving up and down during the show,” says an insider. “We also have to find out whether the wire has experienced metal fatigue.”
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Video screen falls on dancers at Hong Kong concert
A dancer for Cantopop boy band Mirror is in intensive care after a giant video screen fell on him during a concert in Hong Kong.
Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, is in a critical condition with injuries to his cervical vertebrae, head and lungs following the incident at Hong Kong Coliseum last night (28 July), reports the South China Morning Post.
A second injured dancer, 29-year-old Chang Tsz-fung, was also taken to hospital but has since been discharged.
“From initial observation, a wire fractured and led to the fall of the screen and caused the dancers to be injured,” says Hong Kong’s culture secretary Kevin Yeung, as per CNN.
“We will embark on a very detailed investigation”
“We will embark on a very detailed investigation with support of relevant departments and some professionals to make sure we delve deep into the cause of the incident. It is our responsibility and determination to ensure a similar incident will not happen again.”
Mirror’s management MakerVille and show organiser Music Nation say they are working with authorities and the contractor and subcontractors behind the stage structures to establish what went wrong.
In a Facebook statement, MakerVille apologises for “unease to viewers or others affected” and confirm refunds will be given to ticket-holders.
The performance was part of a scheduled 12-concert run by the 12-member band, who formed in 2018. The remaining shows in the series have been cancelled.
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