Homeless woman dead for more than 7 hours in McD HK

[Jman888]

Homeless woman found dead at Hong Kong McDonald’s 24 hours after she sat down as unaware customers ate

Social welfare groups have raised concerns about the lack of support for people living on the fringes of society

Gloria Chan South China Morning Post

UPDATED : Sunday, 04 October, 2015, 8:22pm

Workers remove the body of the homeless woman from the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay on Sunday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Police are trying to confirm the identity of a homeless woman who was found dead in a 24-hour McDonald’s outlet at a public housing estate in Kowloon Bay yesterday morning.

The case has raised concern among social welfare groups about the lack of support for people living on the fringes of society.

The woman, aged around 50 to 60 years, was found slumped over her table in a quiet corner, 24 hours after she entered the restaurant at Ping Shek Estate, while other customers were unaware what had happened.

She was 1.6 metres tall, with short black hair and wearing black-rimmed glasses. She was dressed in a gray long-sleeved overcoat, white t-shirt and black trousers, and wore slippers. Although she had a bag and a wallet on her, she had no identification documents.

It is believed she was a street-sleeper who regularly spent her nights in McDonald’s.

Customers go about their meals at the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay on Sunday even as the area where the homeless woman died is cordoned off with a black sheet. Photo: SCMP Pictures

At around 8:30am yesterday, a McDonald’s employee called police after finding the woman unconscious and cold at her table. She was confirmed dead at the scene.

According to police, there was nothing suspicious about her death upon initial investigation.

CCTV footage showed the woman entering the restaurant at 8:39am the previous day – 24 hours before she was found dead – and sitting at a table near the bathroom. At 1:20am yesterday, she suddenly slumped over the table. Nobody paid her any attention and customers ate their late-night meals around her.

It was back to bustling business as usual while police carried out their investigations yesterday morning. The area she had sat in was cordoned off, and customers were navigating around it to find seats.

Her body was taken away to a mortuary through the back door at around 11:30 am, and by 1pm all tables were open to customers.

Customers at the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay came and went for 24 hours before an employee realised the woman was unconscious and called police. Photo: Frankie Tsang

A spokesman for McDonald’s Hong Kong expressed grief over the incident, promising that the fast food chain would cooperate with police in their investigation.The Ping Shek Estate restaurant was cleaned and disinfected immediately after the incident, he said.

McDonald's clarified that the woman had not ordered any food, but staff noticed she was moving, and had asked for water from the counter.

"To complement the modern lifestyle of people in Hong Kong, some McDonald’s restaurants operate 24 hours a day. We welcome everyone to visit out restaurants any time," the spokesman said.

“In order to provide a pleasant dining environment, we would not disturb our customers, but our service will be offered promptly upon request.”

 

 

 

[Sabian]

Really is you die your own problem...

[Staff69]

We getting there, all in the pursue of economic growth.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Staff69

[Angcheek]

Huat arh ......... !

[Ingenius]

In Japan, macdonalds is home to many homeless people during the night. While in Singapore, it is full of people eating and watching epl.

[Wt_know]

sure bo? which Mc screen EPL?

 

In Japan, macdonalds is home to many homeless people during the night. While in Singapore, it is full of people eating and watching epl.

 

[Tjkbeluga]

lei sei lei geh see....

[Shibadog]

In Japan, macdonalds is home to many homeless people during the night. While in Singapore, it is full of people eating and watching epl.

 

 

saw a few in HKG too.

[GLZT]

sure bo? which Mc screen EPL?

 

 

Kovan mac.

[Jman888]

In Japan, macdonalds is home to many homeless people during the night. While in Singapore, it is full of people eating and watching epl.

 

now exam period, McD here mostly students study for exam until morning

[Angcheek]

@vid how many u saw already kekeke

[Silver_blade]

In Japan, macdonalds is home to many homeless people during the night....

Similar 'trend' in many European countries & Aust too.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Silver_blade

[Vid]

@vid how many u saw already kekeke

 

I hardly go to MacD

 

 

But it's really a tragedy because HK has become so expensive that there are many homeless. And the city is so crowded, people have less empathy for others. A reporter was asking a patron what he felt about the incident and the reply was something like "A bit inconvenient lor as she was taking up a seat."

[Toothiewabbit]

This is sad.

 

No one should die alone.

 

RIP.

[Angcheek]

Yes its very sad . SG is also going that way soon. Recently a bus hit an old man crossing. The old man 80+ died later in hosp. One lady commented ,

 

"why people were angry w the bus driver. So what if the bus driver was a foreigner. They were here to help reduce public transport cost. "

 

How sad our citizen also becoming so heartless.

 

 

 

I hardly go to MacD

 

 

But it's really a tragedy because HK has become so expensive that there are many homeless. And the city is so crowded, people have less empathy for others. A reporter was asking a patron what he felt about the incident and the reply was something like "A bit inconvenient lor as she was taking up a seat."

[Angcheek]

 

Double post

 

 

I hardly go to MacD

 

 

But it's really a tragedy because HK has become so expensive that there are many homeless. And the city is so crowded, people have less empathy for others. A reporter was asking a patron what he felt about the incident and the reply was something like "A bit inconvenient lor as she was taking up a seat."

Edited October 5, 2015 by Angcheek

[CH_CO]

That's the path we are intend to move on to with unrealistic prices on property coupled with more than more people which do not know what to do nor create any value to this world.

 

The equation is never so simplistic where increase the numbers and hope it grows, yes the younger generation are lazy and useless, they grew up within a aura of protection and sense of entitlement.

 

All the more this cushion of importing more and more migrants will make the already packed and uncompetitive market more stress and more and more locals are resorting to borrowing to just get by. Too little too late.

 

Sad but it is needed for a hard drop before singapore reinvigorates.well, we should go into gaming related and biotechnology. This are the things where a cold blooded, tight regulated and packed society can resort to for survival.

 

I hope, we won't go the stage where we wish for parents death when they grow old as something mechanical. Already we are living like pets in their own pigeon holes where your neighborhood will be filled with people who has no intention of sharing national building and how we grew as a nation. Whose sole purpose is for asset maximization and retiring in their own home countries.

 

Next thing after eating genetically modified food and processed cheap alternatives I won't be surprised if we will end up having the poor to just eat pills to survive

Edited October 5, 2015 by CH_CO

[Angcheek]

i wont be surprised if she had a home but cant go back to ... family value is giving way to selfishness , to wealth ....

 

Are we heading that way , sadly we are .