The Labour Department said today that according to a preliminary investigation, five construction workers, including three men and two women, of a contractor, passed away in the recent No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po.

The department is deeply saddened by the passing of the workers and extends its condolences to their families. It also wishes the injured workers a speedy recovery.

At the same time, the department is highly concerned about the fire incident and is conducting a joint investigation with other departments.

It stressed that all contractors in Hong Kong must pay attention to fire risks on construction sites. Specifically, they must particularly enhance the fire safety of scaffolding, ensuring that relevant materials comply with fire safety standards, and that safety measures such as clearing up debris from scaffolding and strictly prohibiting any person from smoking on the sites are strengthened.

If an employee unfortunately sustains an injury or dies at work, the employer will be liable to pay compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance.

The department has been proactively reaching out to the employers concerned, injured employees and family members of the deceased employees to provide assistance, and is closely following up on the cases. It will also assist the family members in applying for emergency relief funds and refer them to the Social Welfare Department for support services.

For enquiries on employees’ compensation, call 2150 6364 (for injury cases) or 2852 3994 (for fatality cases).