Ambulance trapped after surface subsides on Sai Ying Pun promenade path

An ambulance became trapped after the surface subsided beneath a wheel on a pedestrian path at Sai Ying Pun Promenade on the night of August 18, according to reports. The vehicle reportedly needed a tow truck to get free, and the affected area was later cordoned off.

The incident followed a report that a child had been injured in the park and the child’s parent asked staff to call an ambulance. Reports said ambulance personnel initially planned to walk into the park, but a security guard later said the vehicle could enter and moved cones that had been placed across the route.

The Development Bureau and Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the location was not an emergency-vehicle access route but a passage designed for pedestrians. They said an emergency access route was available beside Eastern Street North, with permanent signs at its entrances showing the route’s extent.

The authorities said the park was planned by the Development Bureau, designed and built by the Architectural Services Department, and managed and maintained by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. They said its overall design prioritised pedestrians and its construction standards did not take vehicle loading into account.

Online footage showed the ambulance becoming stuck while reversing, while another report said its rear wheel subsided after passing over paving at the site. The reports do not establish the precise type of damaged surface, or the cause and extent of the failure. The authorities said there had been no similar incident at the park and no previous complaints about subsidence.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has contacted the Architectural Services Department to arrange repairs as soon as possible. The Development Bureau and Leisure and Cultural Services Department said they would study ways to prevent emergency vehicles from entering pedestrian paths and improve frontline staff training and communication. The reports gave no details of the child’s injuries or subsequent treatment, and no repair timetable was provided.