Rise in unemployment sparks suicide bids in Hong Kong

By DPA,

Hong Kong : A jobless driver leapt to his death from the 33rd floor of a building in Hong Kong, becoming the latest victim of the economic downturn, the police said Wednesday.


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The 29-year-old married man was confirmed dead at the scene after jumping Tuesday evening from the window of his flat. He had been out of work for a month.

His suicide came as government statistics revealed growing job losses and a fall in the number of job vacancies in the city of 6.9 million people.

On the same day, a decorator who had just lost his job prepared to jump from a window in a flat where he had been working, but was talked down to safety.

The cases are the latest in a series of suicides and attempted suicides in Hong Kong that have been linked to debt and the economic slump.

Last month, a 62-year-old businessman leapt to his death from the eighth floor of a building after suffering huge losses as the stock market posted its biggest selloff in more than 10 years.

In September, a 59-year-old businessman and his wife killed themselves and their two-year-old son because of the fear that they faced financial ruin.

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