A fatal car accident occurred in Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon when a taxi reportedly lost control and mounted the sidewalk near the entrance of the Nina Hotel Tseun Wan West. Photo: HK01.com

A fatal car accident occurred in Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon when a taxi reportedly lost control and mounted the sidewalk near the entrance of the Nina Hotel Tseun Wan West. A 35-year-old Filipino tourist, who was stepping out of the hotel while dragging his suitcase, was struck by the taxi, which hit him with high speed, resembling a "cannonball" impact, according to local media reports. 

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong confirmed the incident in a response to media inquiries, local media HK01 reported on Wednesday. The consulate is currently assisting the family of the deceased, with arrangements being made for the transportation of the body to the Philippines.

The driver, who is an 80-year-old man, reportedly felt dizzy while driving a taxi into a pick-up/drop-off area of the hotel. The taxi suspectedly went out of control and mounted the pavement. The taxi knocked down a 35-year-old foreign male pedestrian before crashing into a hotel wall, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by the Hong Kong police on Wednesday. 

The taxi driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries, the statement said. 

A car camera video circulating online shows the tragic moment of the accident: the Filipino tourist who stepped out of the hotel with his suitcase seemingly used his phone, and walked along the sidewalk. Suddenly, a taxi, moving at high speed like a "cannonball," crashed into him, forcefully hitting the victim. 

The man was briefly wedged between a column and the taxi's front end before the vehicle reversed, causing the victim to fall to the ground. In the final moments of the video, he can be seen attempting to sit up despite the severe injuries.

Local media HK01 reported that the victim - the 35-year-old Filipino man who had arrived in Hong Kong with several friends for a vacation. He was about to check out of the hotel and was walking through the lobby's ground-level drop-off area when the taxi struck him, causing life-threatening injuries.

The Philippines is one of Hong Kong's biggest tourist markets, with an estimated 1.2 million Filipino travelers visiting Hong Kong in 2024, according to Filipino media the Philippines Star.