Hong Kong parents warned of choking, injury risks from catapult and tangram toys

Customs also urged retailers to pull products from shelves after seizing 700 sets during operation

A catapult toy and a tangram set could pose injury and suffocation risks to children, Hong Kong customs has warned, urging retailers to pull the products from shelves.

The Customs and Excise Department said on Saturday that it seized 700 units of the toys during an operation and issued a prohibition notice banning their sale.

The action followed an earlier safety test on various toys bought at the Chinese New Year fair.

“To avoid accidents, parents should immediately stop letting their children play with the catapult and tangram toys,” a department spokesman said. “Traders should also remove them from their shelves.”

The department said the safety test found that the projectile of the catapult toy had sufficient kinetic energy to cause injury if aimed at the eyes or face, but lacked a protective leading part made of a resilient material.

Separately, the tangram set contained small components that posed a suffocation risk to children if accidentally swallowed, the test found.

Neither product carried the required warning labels, hazard cautions or mandatory identification markings under the law.