Garden Company apologises after crowd chaos mars student sandwich record bid

One of Hong Kong’s oldest makers of bread and biscuits, the Garden Company, 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 students 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 criticised the organiser for poor crowd management.