Hung Hom Funeral Parlour Hit by Partial Blackout During Record Hong Kong Heat
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Wang Kwong Funeral Parlour (紅磡寰宇殯儀館) in Hung Hom suffered a partial power failure on Sunday, June 9, that knocked out lighting, air conditioning and ventilation systems on approximately half of one floor. The incident occurred on a day when Hong Kong recorded its hottest temperature ever. The mortuary in the basement was not affected by the outage. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which operates the facility, is working to resolve the situation.
Key Points
- The power failure struck on June 9, affecting roughly half of one floor at Wang Kwong Funeral Parlour, leaving those areas without electricity, air conditioning and ventilation .
- The outage occurred on what meteorologists confirmed as the hottest day in Hong Kong's recorded history, compounding discomfort in the affected areas .
- Traditional Chinese funeral rites involve extensive incense burning, and the loss of ventilation systems created seriously poor conditions in the affected halls .
- Zheng Zhijie, chairman of the Hong Kong Funeral Business Association, confirmed on a radio programme on June 12 that the basement mortuary storing remains was not affected by the power failure .
- The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals stated its priority is protecting the remains of the deceased, and the facility is currently operating at limited capacity for hall rentals .
Why It Matters
This incident exposes the vulnerability of critical infrastructure at facilities serving the public, even at venues where the stakes are highest such as funeral parlours. The fact that the mortuary remained unaffected demonstrates the importance of backup systems for essential services, and the incident has prompted calls across the industry for comprehensive reviews of power systems at similar establishments .
This incident exposes the vulnerability of critical infrastructure at facilities serving the public, even at venues where the stakes are highest such as funeral parlours. The fact that the mortuary remained unaffected demonstrates the importance of backup systems for essential services, and the incident has prompted calls across the industry for comprehensive reviews of power systems at similar establishments .