Two Workers Dead After Collapsing In Manhole

Authorities on Wednesday were investigating the death of two construction workers who were believed to have been overcome by noxious gases in a manhole in Chek Lap Kok.

Police said they received a report around 9am that the pair passed out while working in a four-metre-deep sewer manhole on Chun Kwan Road.

The force said initial investigations showed they had probably inhaled "unknown gases".

The men, 34 and 38, were later rescued by firefighters and taken to North Lantau Hospital where they were declared dead.

Three other male workers, who felt unwell, were also taken to hospital and were said to be in a serious condition.

Tearful relatives at the hospital demanded an explanation from the construction company, alleging that the workers were not provided with sufficient protective gear.

"You should have taken all the safety measures before letting the workers go down [the manhole]. There is no way one can just wear a mask and go down," said the wife of one of the deceased workers surnamed Chiu.

Meanwhile, the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims called on the Airport Authority to send representatives to meet the workers' families, saying the construction site was the authority's property.

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