A 100-kilogram section of a false ceiling of a food store in Kwai Chung, New Territories, fell on to the sidewalk while a family of three passed by on Tuesday afternoon, injuring the parents of a newborn girl – who was unhurt.
At 4:15pm, a 36-year-old man surnamed Liu, holding his eight-day-old baby in his arms, was walking with his wife along Shek Yam Road in Kwai Chung, Sing Tao Daily reported, when an L-shaped piece of false ceiling, together with two spotlights, suddenly fell.
The metal piece, measuring 5.5 meters long and 80 centimeters wide, hit the man’s 30-year-old wife on her chest, waist and right palm, causing her to fall to the ground.
Liu held his baby tightly with both hands and squatted down to protect her. The baby was unhurt, but Liu’s finger was cut by some debris.
Storekeepers helped the couple take care of the baby before paramedics arrived five minutes later. The family were sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for medical treatment. Liu’s wife sustained an injury to a thoracic vertebra.
Police arrested the 47-year-old store owner for allowing objects to fall from height, Sing Pao reported. It was believed that the false ceiling had been poorly maintained.
The structure of the building was in no immediately danger, the Buildings Department reported.