MIRROR Concert Organiser Suspended From Hiring Venues

The government said on Monday that it has suspended the organisers of July's MIRROR concert - Music Nation - from hiring its venues while a criminal probe into how a giant video screen came to crash down on the stage during the show continues.

The incident left two dancers injured, one of whom remains in hospital with serious spinal injuries.

Last Friday, police alleged that the concert's main contractor had made false declarations about the weights of mechanical devices used in the show.

Four men and one woman who work for the main contractor and a stage engineering company involved in the show at the Hong Kong Coliseum were arrested.

Explaining a government report into the tragedy to lawmakers, Secretary for Culture Kevin Yeung said Music Nation cannot hire government venues for concerts before the end of the probe and relevant judicial proceedings.

"Each of the parties involved; how deeply they are involved in the incident; whether the relevant parties were deceived or were actually aware of the inaccurate information; we need to investigate further," Yeung told members of a Legco panel discussing the report.

"But from the evidence we have, the terms and conditions of hire were violated. While pending further investigation, we suspend the permission of them to hire [government] venues."

Yeung said it's also possible that the firm could be banned for good, if there is evidence to show that it "has other responsibilities".

The minister said despite the arrests of the five workers of two of the contractors for the concert - Engineering Impact and Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering Company - the two firms alleged involvement in the case is uncertain at this stage.

But for the sake of safety, he said if the hirers of government venues employ the two companies for installation work involving "complicated stage designs", they may be required to pay for third-party audits of safety checks.

Yeung said this is because the arrests have cast doubt on whether the firms can ensure their employees are able to safely undertake such work.