The Garden Company, one of Hong Kong’s oldest makers of bread and biscuits, has apologised and pledged to review its crowd-management procedures after a world-record attempt involving more than 700 students making sandwiches descended into chaos.
The incident occurred on Sunday at SKH Tang Shiu Kin Secondary School in Wan Chai, when the company tried to set a record for the “largest sandwich-making lesson” to mark its coming 100th anniversary.
More than 700 primary school pupils were involved and some attendees estimated that at least 1,400 people, including parents, attended the event, causing overcrowding at the venue.
Some attendees posted about the situation on social media, claiming that people forcing their way through the doors had nearly triggered a stampede. They accused the organiser of poor crowd management.
In a social media post on Monday night, the Garden Company apologised and said: “We attach the utmost importance to the safety and experience of every participant, and have proactively contacted all parents to gather their feedback.”
“In light of the shortcomings in the organisation of this event, the Garden team is conducting a thorough review, and we humbly accept the criticism. We will examine our procedures and relevant measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.”
The company also acknowledged the extended wait times at the end of the event.
“We sincerely apologise to the affected parents and children,” it said.
It stressed in the evening statement that there was no “stampede” or “fighting” as rumoured, adding that no one was injured.
Videos circulating online showed paper towels scattered across the floor of the hall and many children standing in the corridors waiting to leave amid scenes of chaotic jostling.
Some attendees complained on the social media platform Threads that as the event drew to a close, groups of parents frantically forced their way through the doors to get inside, “completely ignoring instructions on-site to the point where even the doors were broken”.
Some parents also complained on social media that the instructions given that day were unclear, while the venue was small and had only one tiny door as an exit.
“One moment, the staff told people to wait at the entrance; the next, at the playground; and then suddenly, to walk into the hall,” an attendee said.
The attendee recalled that many parents became agitated because they were worried about whether they would be able to pick up their children.
