Events Can Go On If Stage Designs Are Simple: Govt

Culture minister Kevin Yeung said on Saturday that organisers of events at government venues may have to stick with simple stage arrangements while officials investigate Thursday's incident at a MIRROR concert.

A large video panel at the Hong Kong Coliseum fell onto the stage during the event, injuring two dancers, one of whom remains in hospital in serious condition.

Yeung said initial investigations showed that the panel was held by two metal suspension cords, one of which snapped. The other was loose.

He said officials would bring in experts from the Institution of Engineers to look into what happened. That includes the materials used for the cord and its design, and whether the fact that the panel moved around as part of the show increased the risk of an accident.

Yeung said the government knows that not every performance can wait for the investigation to end, so in the meantime, those events involving "relatively static and simple stage designs" can go on.

"We will discuss with [venue hirers] what their performances will be, and what sort of special arrangements in terms of the stage and other facilities they'll be arranging, we will discuss with them on their safety," he told reporters after attending a Commercial Radio programme.

The secretary said officials may ask the event organisers to avoid set-ups similar to that used at the MIRROR concert.

He said officials will be looking at every detail about what caused the panel to fall, including which company was responsible for installing the panel and how it was installed.

Yeung also said that he believes the system of giving event organisers the responsibility to find a certified engineer to sign off on stage facilities had always been trustworthy.

He said having every detail go through government departments was not necessarily the best arrangement.