Giant screen falls on stage during concert by Hong Kong boy band Mirror, two performers injured
One of the two dancers injured during a concert by popular Hong Kong boy band Mirror on Thursday night remains in a serious condition, after online footage showed him – and a fellow performer – being hit by a large falling screen.
Organisers announced they will axe the remaining concerts in the 12-show run following a government intervention.
A male dancer was sent to the intensive care unit of Queen Elizabeth Hospital after he was injured at the Hong Kong Coliseum on the fourth night of Cantopop group Mirror’s concert series, the Hospital Authority told HKFP in the early hours of Friday. Another dancer remains in a stable condition.
Many Hongkongers shared photos of a black screen on social media, saying they hoped the injured dancers could pull through. Others criticised the concert organisers as “having no regards for safety.”
Hong Kong leader ‘shocked’
The concert cancellation came a few hours after the government said it instructed the show to be halted “until the structure of the stage is proved to be safe.” Chief Executive John Lee expressed “shock” at the incident, saying he had contacted Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung and instructed the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and other relevant units to fully investigate the incident, as well as review the safety requirements for similar performances.
“[I] offer my condolences to the injured, wishing them a speedy recovery,” Lee said.
Yeung expressed “grave concern” over the accident, saying he asked the LCSD to form a task force led by an Assistant Director to work with other parties to investigate.
He added that the LCSD and the Labour Department had contacted the concert organisers on Wednesday asking about stage incidents over the recent few days, and demanded the organiser make improvements.
The long-anticipated Mirror show at Hong Kong Coliseum, often described as a “dream” performing arena for many local singers, was marred by safety incidents concerning Mirror members and their dancers in the days leading up to Thursday’s accident.
According to local media reports, a dancer was injured during a rehearsal, prompting some fellow performers to vent their discontent on social media.
During the debut show of the concert series on Monday night, Mirror member Anson Kong appeared to lose his balance slightly while dancing on a raised platform. Another member Frankie Chan stepped off the edge of an elevated stage on Tuesday evening when he was delivering a speech. His fall prompted some Mirror fans to launch an online petition to call attention to safety issues surrounding the concert.
‘Serious industrial accident’
In a statement released a few hours after the accident, the Hong Kong Theatre Arts Practitioners Union described the incident as a “serious industrial accident.” Police, the Labour Department and other relevant authorities must launch a probe, the group said, adding the concert organiser Music Nation and talent management company MakerVille should openly explain whether the injured dancers would receive the “protection they deserved.”
The union also called on all engineering companies and stakeholders involved in the show to explain how the accident happened, and whether the stage devices and special effects were up to safety standards.
“We hope each and every sector will work together to prevent similar accidents from happening again. We hope each and every dancer can deliver their best performance under the most professional and reliable protection,” the union wrote on Facebook.
The Hong Kong Red Cross activated their “Shall We Talk” hotline, providing emotional support to witnesses. It is available on WhatsApp +852 5164 5040, or Telegram at @hkrcshallwetalk.
Related articles
Andretti Global makes key engineering hire in bid to earn a spot in Formula 1
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Mere hours after Formula 1’s chief technical officer said he was leaving after s2024-05-22Kenyan runner Kwemoi banned 6 years for blood doping and stripped of Olympics, world champs results
MONACO (AP) — Kenyan 10,000-meter runner Rodgers Kwemoi was banned for six years on Friday for suspe2024-05-22Army will present Purple Heart to Minnesota veteran 73 years after he was wounded in Korean War
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — After 73 years and a long fight with the U.S. Army, a Korean War veteran from2024-05-22Social divisions and hostile rhetoric in Slovakia provide fertile ground for political violence
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — When a gunman shot Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico this week, shock rippl2024-05-22UK court rules that extension of UK police powers to intervene in protests is unlawful
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s High Court ruled Tuesday that new regulations that gave U.K. police more pow2024-05-22Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looks pristine in a one
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands wowed in a statement one-shoulder jumpsuit on Thursday evening as sh2024-05-22
atest comment