LOCAL fans of rock band Beyond last night staged a roadside memorial vigil for lead vocalist Wong Ka-kui, who died of cerebral haemorrhage in Tokyo yesterday after falling from a comedy show set six days ago.
Scores of teenage girls, mainly about 15 or 16, flocked to Beyond’s ground floor studio in Mongkok after they heard of Wong’s death at around 5.30 pm.
Wong, 31, was certified dead at 4.15 pm Tokyo time at the Women’s Medical College Hospital. He had a skull fracture, serious swelling of the brain and haemorrhage.
Six of his relatives, including brother and band member Ka-keung, were with him. He had been in a coma since the accident.
Last night outside the Sai Yee Street studio, local fans of the four-member band said: ’‘This was a place where Beyond gathered and played music. We always waited and met them here after performances.’’ The girls broke into tears and some yelled ’‘Kai-kui, please don’t leave us’’ when they listened to some of Beyond’s songs being broadcast on the radio.
They also burned paper cranes, symbolising peace, and two packs of Dunhill cigarettes, which they said were Wong’s favourite.
’‘I didn’t know how long we will remain here. But we’ll continue to make more paper cranes and burn them to him,’’ one girl said.
Another said: ’‘It’s really a shock to us because we thought Ka-kui would recover after taking Chinese herbal medicine.’’ Commercial Radio paid a special tribute to the singer in an eight-hour memorial programme last night.
Radio Television Hongkong also broadcast a special programme and interviewed Wong’s friends in Hongkong.
The accident occurred last Thursday when Wong and other Beyond members rehearsed a mock fight with eight Japanese stars for a Fuji Television show.
Some of those taking part fell into water on one side of the 2.3-metre stage. Others slipped on the wet stage and crashed into a fence on the other side, which came away from the side of the stage.
Wong and a Japanese actor fell off the stage through that gap, and Wong hit his head. The Japanese slightly injured his chest.
Fuji’s senior executive director of programming, Kou-Ichi Nurakami, said the future of the series would depend on the results of an accident inquiry.
’‘The site of the accident was examined right after the accident and now we are waiting for the result. We will judge the future course of the TV show series,’’ Mr Nurakami said.
He also promised to review studio safety and arrange compensation for Wong’s family.
’‘In consideration of Wong’s family’s feelings, we will proceed with discussions about compensation, in which we would like to express our utmost sincerity in taking care of the matter,’’ he said.
He also extended his condolences to Wong’s family.