Authorities on Friday said they are highly concerned about a construction violation at a light public housing project in Siu Lam, where screws were found to have been cut without approval.

Officers discovered the problem last month during an inspection at the site, which is managed by Able-Chun Wo Joint Venture.

The Housing Bureau said the issue involved 23 screws connecting formwork used for casting the concrete core walls on the fourth and fifth floors of the project.

The Architectural Services Department confirmed that the overall structural safety of the Siu Lam light public housing project remains intact.

Officials ordered the contractor to suspend the affected work immediately and to reinstall the formwork.

The department said it has issued a written warning to the joint venture, demanding a detailed investigation report and a repair plan as soon as possible. It also requires the contractor to bear all costs and responsibilities, and to review its site procedures, including strengthening worker training and supervision to prevent a recurrence.

It added that inspections have been stepped up at two other light public housing construction sites managed by the same contractor in Tuen Mun and Chai Wan, to ensure similar problems don't occur.

The contractor said it has dismissed the workers involved.

Authorities added that a preliminary investigation found the problem was limited to on-site screw installation for the formwork, and had nothing to do with Modular Integrated Construction – a construction method where pre-finished modules are built in factories and then assembled on-site into complete buildings.