5 killed in construction accident in HK

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Donald Tsang (Front) inspects the site of an accident at the International Commerce Center (ICC) under construction in Kowloon of Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 13, 2009. Five people were killed and another injured on Sunday in the accident involving the fall of a working platform at the construction site of the ICC in Kowloon, a local TV station reported. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

Police officers and reporters stay near the site of an accident at the International Commerce Center (ICC) under construction in Kowloon of Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 13, 2009.(Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

Photo taken on Sept. 13, 2009 shows the International Commerce Center (ICC) under construction in Kowloon of Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

HONG KONG, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed in an accident involving plunging of a working platform at the construction site of the International Commerce Center (ICC) at Kowloon, a local TV station reported Sunday.

The accident happened on Sunday afternoon when six cleaners were on the working platform which suddenly fell from the 27th floor to the 10th floor, leading 5 dead and one seriously injured, according to a TV life broadcast.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang went to the scene for inspection and expressed his condolence to family members of the dead workers. He described it as a very serious accident and has asked the authorities to probe into the accident.

Hong Kong's leading developer Sun Hung Kai Properties which backed the ICC construction said all work at the site were suspended at once and promised to distribute 1 million HK dollars (about 129,199 U.S. dollars) to each of the dead worker's household.

The ICC, at 118 stories and 490 meters, is still under construction and scheduled to be completed next year. It will become the tallest building in the city by then.