MTR Admits Safety Scare At Another Station

Concerns were raised on Monday over the safety of construction work at a second station on the Shatin-Central link, with fears that a 30 metre-long wall at the future To Kwa Wan MTR Station has not been reinforced properly.

The MTR Corporation confirmed to RTHK that it had been notified by a contractor that some building work had not been carried out in accordance with design specifications.

Earlier, Hong Kong First lawmaker Claudia Mo said a source had told her that part of the wall, including a set of steel bars, had been ripped out after construction, meaning it is in danger of collapsing in the long-run.

Mo told RTHK's Damon Pang that part of the wall was apparently removed to cover up a mistake with its dimensions.

"About half of the metal bars for supporting were removed and about a third of the concrete that should be there got knocked off as well. So it's quite scary," the legislator said.

"He [the source] said it happened around early April and everyone at the work site knew about it, it's an open secret."

The corporation said it had ordered the contractor involved to rectify the mistake.

It said it will conduct a detailed investigation into the problem and had asked the contractor to provide the necessary documents and information.

The railway operator is currently embroiled in a scandal over flawed construction work at Hung Hom Station, where steel bars securing a platform to the walls were cut short, in an apparent bid to hide the fact that they had not been screwed in properly.

MTR bosses have been accused of changing their story over that safety scare and of trying to cover up the problem. The government is said to be considering setting up a commission of inquiry to look into the matter.