Hong Kong authorities have suspended a firm from using electric chainsaws for tree-related work while investigating the death of a 63-year-old employee, who was found to have sliced his leg with the device near a monastery.

The Labour Department said on Thursday it was “highly concerned” about the incident that had occurred the day before, while police said that an autopsy was under way to determine the exact cause of death.

Police said they had received a report at about 5.45pm Wednesday that a 63-year-old man surnamed Lai was found unconscious near the Tsing Shan Monastery Path in Tuen Mun.

Lai was declared dead at the scene. The force said its preliminary investigation suggested Lai accidentally cut himself on the leg with a chainsaw.

It is understood that Lai’s colleague had last seen him at 9.30am before they left for work separately. It was not immediately clear what time the incident happened.

The force said the case had been classified as an industrial accident and that the cause of death would be determined after an autopsy.