Woman aged between 50 and 60 entered the restaurant 24 hours
earlier, but police were not called for several hours
A homeless woman lay dead at a Hong Kong McDonald’s restaurant for hours surrounded by diners before
authorities were called.
The woman, aged between 50 and 60, was found
dead on Saturday morning and has been held up as an example of the growing
number of homeless people who seek shelter in 24-hour restaurants.
“Officers arrived upon a report from a female
customer [that a person was found to have fainted],” said police in a
statement.
“The subject was certified dead at the scene.”
Local media said the woman was slumped at a
table, 24 hours after she first entered the restaurant in the working class
district of Ping Shek.
She had not moved for seven hours before
fellow diners noticed something was wrong, according to Apple Daily, citing
CCTV footage.
The woman was thought to have regularly spent
nights in the McDonald’s, said the South China Morning Post.
The city’s social welfare department said it
was highly concerned about the incident.
“We endeavour to support street sleepers to
enhance their self-reliance ... the subject is a complex social problem,” said
a department spokeswoman.
There are concerns over the plight of the
homeless population in the affluent southern Chinese financial hub, although
the number of homeless is relatively low, estimated at more than 1,000 by local
NGOs.
Many are forced to live on the street as they
cannot afford to rent even the tiniest home, as housing prices are sky high.
In sweltering temperatures and high humidity,
some find shelter in air-conditioned restaurants that are open around the
clock.
“McDonald’s Hong Kong would like to express
our grief over the unfortunate incident at our Ping Shek Estate restaurant,”
said Wendy Lam, senior director of McDonald’s Hong Kong.
“We welcome everyone to visit our restaurants
any time. In order to provide a pleasant dining environment, we would not
disturb our customers, but our service will be offered promptly upon request.”
