Scaffolding worker falls to his death from Hong Kong industrial building

A worker has fallen to his death from a building while dismantling bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong.

The man, 44, was found unconscious on a concrete canopy at the 11-storey Tung Nam Factory Building in To Kwa Wan at around 2pm on Tuesday.

His colleagues called emergency services. Firefighters used a hydraulic platform to get to the man and paramedics rushed him to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for emergency treatment, but he was pronounced dead.

A police source said the man and three others were working on the scaffolding and had secured themselves with safety harnesses attached to an angle bracket.

The victim intended to move to dismantle part of the scaffolding farther along and detached the safety harness from the bracket at about 2pm. He walked towards the section of scaffolding and then he and the bracket fell.

A male pedestrian reportedly saw the worker fall from near the top of the scaffolding along with two bamboo poles and an angle bracket and said he heard a loud “bang” as the man landed on the concrete awning. He said he immediately called police.

The Labour Department said it was highly concerned about the accident.