A glass canopy above a side entrance of the Legislative Council building partially collapsed on Friday morning, but is apparently being held up by a metal scaffolding structure.
No one was injured, and the Architectural Services Department has determined that the Legco building is structurally sound.
One side of the canopy is partially detached from the wall. However, the other side is obscured from sight. The entire canopy is now sloping down at a slight angle.
A loud bang was heard at around 10:00 on Friday morning, while lawmakers were .debating the controversial Copyright bill inside the chamber. The area was quickly cordoned off, and police and firefighters were called in.
Legislative Council President Tsang Yok-sing said preliminary inspections indicates that there is no “structural problem…We have been told that all activities within the complex of the legislative council can be carried on as usual.”
The affected canopy is adjacent to a construction site. A new footbridge is under construction to link the complex to CITIC Tower. Tsang added that the incident should not affect the safety of the footbridge.
The Legco complex opened in 2011 amid allegations that the construction was rushed. Many lawmakers complained about apparently shoddy workmanship, and expressed concerns about the safety of the building.
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Last updated: 2015-12-18 HKT 12:19
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1230460-20151218.htm
