{
  "id": 15572338,
  "title": "Hong Kong lift scandal prompts calls to review checks and engineer accreditation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/hong-kong-lift-scandal-prompts-calls-to-review-checks-and-engineer",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-19T06:39:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371363/hong-kong-lift-scandal-prompts-calls-review-checks-and-engineer-accreditation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Calls have been made to review lift safety checks and engineer accreditation in Hong Kong following the discovery of missing door frame components in lifts installed by contractor Taizoom Elevators at 152 private properties. Lawmaker Scott Leung Man-kwong and electrical engineer Ho Wing-yip have urged authorities to rely less on reports signed off by registered lift engineers and consider introducing a third-party verification system. Leung noted that the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) currently relies on these reports to determine if lifts have met professional standards, but a shortage of registered lift engineers has led to heavy workloads. Ho suggested that the large number of defective lifts indicates the company may have instructed workers to use cost-cutting methods. The scandal has prompted the EMSD director to instruct all lift contractors to review the design and construction of landing doors installed over the past decade.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong authorities should look beyond reports signed off by registered engineers when assessing lift safety and review accreditation requirements to help prevent contractors from cutting corners, a lawmaker and an expert have urged, after more lifts were found missing a crucial door frame component. Lawmaker Scott Leung Man-kwong on Monday called on the Electrical and Mechanical Services…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/can-hong-kong-become-a-new-centre-for-frontier-medicine",
        "published": "2026-10-19T03:35:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "What's driving Hong Kong's growing Pokemon card craze?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/whats-driving-hong-kongs-growing-pokemon-card-craze",
        "published": "2026-10-19T10:47:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}