Several People Hurt in Hong Kong Concert Accident

In a frightening demonstration of the importance of production safety, five people were injured when a video screen collapsed during a performance by the Hong Kong boy band Mirror.

The incident has been widely reported by news outlets worldwide.

According to NBC News, "More than a dozen performers were onstage at the Hong Kong Coliseum late Thursday night when the screen appeared to come loose from one of the two metal cords from which it was suspended. It landed directly on one dancer before falling backward onto another, eliciting screams from a crowd of thousands. The sold-out concert was stopped, and audience members were asked to leave after the incident."

CNN reports, "Video of the moment the screen crashed onto the dancers went viral on social media, and local charities have set up hotlines for any of the 10,000 people who attended the concert and are traumatized by what they saw."

The New York Times adds, "John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, said in a statement early Friday that he had asked the leisure department and other agencies to investigate the accident and 'review the safety requirements of similar performance activities.'

"The Hong Kong authorities said in a separate statement that the government had contacted the concert organizers on Wednesday -- the day before the accident -- about 'stage incidents in the past few days.' It did not elaborate, and the leisure department could not immediately be reached for comment." However, The South China Morning Post reported that a band member fell off the stage during a performance on Tuesday.

As mentioned above, videos of the accident have gone viral and are widely available on Twitter and elsewhere. Be aware that they are extremely disturbing.