Yet another fatal accident in Sai Kung owing to hot weather; market traders complain of excessive heat

_{Clear Water Bay First Beach}

Sunday afternoon (24/7) yet another fatal accident occurred at one of Sai Kung’s beaches. This follows a series of fatal accidents in the area over the past week or so mainly due to the excessive hot weather.

At 3:46 pm police received a report of a man in his 60s who was suspected of drowning while swimming at the Clear Water Bay First Beach, Sai Kung. After first aid, he was sent to Tseung Kwan O Hospital for treatment, but unfortunately died.

The 69-year-old was reported to be a businessman and was not proficient in the water. At about 2:00 pm, he and two friends who had known each other since university, met for a swim at the Clear Water Bay First Beach. He wasn’t wearing any life jacket or floats and was swimming in the shallows alone, with his two friends swimming nearby.

By 3:00 pm, the two friends could not find their friend when they went ashore, so they turned to lifeguards for help. A few nearby swimmers found that the man floating in the sea about 10 metres offshore, face down the water, unconscious. The three lifeguards at the beach performed CPR on the spot and used an automatic external defibrillator before they sent him to the hospital. Unfortunately, the victim died at 5:25 pm. The victim is reported to have diabetes, and the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

^{Sai Kung Market}

Many open markets in Hong Kong have no air-conditioning and are like “steam ovens” in this extremely hot weather. Elizabeth Quat, a member of Legco visited the market in Sai Kung yesterday (26/7), together with the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Young Bick Kwan, to understand the situation of residents and vendors. The room temperature in the market approached 40°C, and it was affecting the quality of food and the flow of people.

The hot and humid environment not only affects the general public, but also affects the work of traders and the quality of food. Some fish stall traders said that they spent a lot of money to buy ice cubes every day, but they melted in an instant because it was too hot; some meat stall traders said that the meat was easily spoiled; and some vegetable stalls pointed out that fans dries vegetables.

^{Elizabeth Quat and Young Bick Kwan inspect the temperature in Sai Kung market}

Quat requested that the Department should install powerful fans and air coolers quickly to increase air circulation and cool down the premises, and install air-conditioning for Sai Kung and other markets as soon as possible. She mentioned that the government threshold for the installation of air-conditioning projects has to be approved by 80% of the merchants, which is too high, and she hoped that the government will study to lower the threshold.

At the moment, about 55% of public markets or cooked food markets in Hong Kong are still not equipped with air conditioning. Quat demanded that the FEHD should also include the Sai Kung Market in the market modernisation plan. The Government announced in the 2018/19 Budget that it would set aside HK$2 billion for the renovation of modern markets, but so far, 53 of the 96 public markets or cooked food markets managed by the FEHD have not yet been improved or air conditioning installed. Quat complained that it took more than 10 years to install air conditioners in Tai Wai Market, for example. In recent years, only Aberdeen Market, Yeung Uk Road Market, Ngau Tau Kok Market and Kowloon City Market have been renovated.