Passenger Faints in Rear of Bus, Unnoticed Until Driver Returns to Depot and Discovers Deceased in Early Morning

A 33-year-old man in Hong Kong boarded a KMB route 61M bus early on March 6th and reportedly fainted in the rear upper deck. The night shift driver, upon reaching the terminus, did not check the upper deck and drove the bus back to the depot. It wasn't until around 7 AM that an early shift driver, alerted by a passenger, discovered the man unconscious. Despite rescue efforts, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The night shift driver, Lu Ziqiang, claimed he did not inspect the upper deck seats upon returning to the depot, only checking if there were special circumstances like vomiting. A KMB Assistant Operations Manager stated that the driver's safety manual requires checking both decks at the terminus to ensure no passengers are left behind. However, field personnel only conduct visual inspections. Early shift driver Chan Wing-kit pointed out that the CCTV cameras focus on the doors when they open, and while they cover the upper deck seats at other times, the angle only captures the last three or four rows behind the stairs, failing to cover the rear area where the deceased was seated, creating a surveillance blind spot. The forensic pathologist determined the direct cause of death was occlusive coronary artery plaque, a natural death, due to severe atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, with nearly 80% of the main vessel blocked. An expert witness stated that brain hypoxia exceeding 5 minutes leads to irreversible damage, and immediate CPR upon fainting might have offered a chance of survival, but the golden hour was only a few minutes. Court testimony indicated that there were still passengers on the bus when the night shift driver returned to the depot, but they were not discovered. The case is ongoing, with closing arguments expected. This incident highlights the need for improved bus safety checks and CCTV coverage. If drivers had strictly followed inspection protocols and CCTV blind spots were reduced, it might have been possible to detect the passenger's distress earlier and prevent a similar tragedy. Night shifts shouldn't be lazy, you have to do the required checks...