A 47-year-old food delivery rider died after being stabbed during an alleged altercation near Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market on Friday night, police said. Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said on Sunday he would pursue whatever policy changes were needed to protect gig workers who, he argued, were among the state’s most exposed employees on the road.
The victim was identified in Australian reports as Feng Jianming, a Chinese national and father of two working for HungryPanda. A second rider, aged 34, was injured in the same incident. Police arrested a 51-year-old man, according to ABC News.
What police and witnesses described
Authorities said the stabbing occurred while Feng was completing a delivery run shortly before the Market’s late trading hours. Victoria Police have not released a detailed motive; investigators are continuing inquiries. Hundreds of people attended a vigil on Saturday night, with riders telling reporters they feel unsafe collecting orders in crowded central Melbourne streets.
The Chinese consulate in Melbourne said in a WeChat statement that Carroll spoke by phone with a consular official on Saturday to offer condolences. The consulate asked that the case be handled fairly under law and that the rights of Chinese citizens be protected.
Political response
Carroll told reporters his priority was community safety and that he was working with Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. He said he would continue talks with the Transport Workers Union and platform companies on duty-of-care obligations. Opposition leaders have echoed calls for clearer rules on rider access to loading zones and late-night escorts, though no legislation has been introduced since the killing.
Federal leaders mostly left policing to the state, but the death landed during a broader debate about visa conditions for temporary workers and the insurance coverage platforms provide when riders are attacked off premises.
HungryPanda’s commitments
HungryPanda said it was deeply saddened by Feng’s death and was assisting his family with visas, travel costs, funeral expenses and additional financial support. The company said it planned meetings with Melbourne riders next week and had contacted the City of Melbourne, the Victorian government and police about practical safety measures in public pickup areas.
“This tragedy has brought these safety risks into sharper focus,” the company said in a statement carried by ABC News, without promising specific product changes such as compulsory safety training or automated emergency alerts.
What happens next
Magistrates will decide bail and any charges against the arrested man; police have not commented on the court timetable. Carroll’s office will face pressure to translate Sunday’s vows into enforceable standards—particularly night-time lighting around Market loading bays, platform liability when riders are targeted for their branded bags, and faster incident reporting to police.
Until those details emerge, Melbourne’s delivery workforce will keep working the same routes, with riders saying Friday’s killing is a reminder that gig work in the CBD carries risks beyond traffic and weather.