A Woman Died In A Hong Kong McDonald's And Nobody Noticed For Hours

Hong Kong police have relayed a shockingly macabre and sad case this morning: They are trying to confirm the identity of a homeless woman who died inside a McDonald's restaurant, and went unnoticed by customers for hours.

The anonymous woman, who was dressed in a grey coat and slippers, slumped over in her chair shortly after 1 a.m., nearly 24 hours after she entered the restaurant at Ping Shek Estate, a public housing section of Hong Kong. It wasn't until seven hours later that the police were called, while customers ordered and ate meals around her, seemingly unaware of the situation, security camera footage shows. Police cordoned off the section where she sat with yellow police tape while the McDonald's still remained open, according to the South China Morning Post.

A spokesman for McDonald's Hong Kong expressed sincere grief over the incident, and said that the chain would cooperate in any police investigation. The restaurant was cleaned and disinfected immediately after the incident, he told the South China Morning Post. The woman had not ordered any food, but staff had noticed that she was moving and she was offered water.

"To complement the modern lifestyle of people in Hong Kong, some McDonald's restaurants operate 24 hours a day," the spokesman said. "We welcome everyone to visit out restaurants any time. In order to provide a pleasant dining environment, we would not disturb our customers, but our service will be offered promptly upon request."