PRIORITY
EN CLAIR
FM HONG KONG 240503Z
UNCLASSIFIED
RECED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
24 AUG 1971
TOP COPY
26
AKK 11/1
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 598 OF 24 AUGUST INFO WASHINGTON HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
LAST
REF
12
MY TELNO 572. TYPHOON ROSE.
NEXT
REF.
REPAIRS AND CLEARING UP CONTINUE, HELPED BY FINE WEATHER SINCE THE TYPHOON, LIFE IS OTHERWISE MORE OR LESS BACK TO NORMAL. BUT
EFFECTS WERE RATHER MORE SERIOUS THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.
A) CASUALTIES.
DEAD 91 (OF WHOM 74 DIED AT SEA)
MISSING ABOUT 34 (CREW OF 2 MACAU FERRIES)
INJURED 334 (INCLUDING THOSE TREATED AND DISCHARGED)
B) SHIPPING.
26 OCEAN-GOING SHIPS WERE STRANDED (12 HAVE SINCE BEEN REFLOATED), 2 FERRIES ON THE MACAU RUN SANK (43 BODIES OF CREW FROM THE FAT
SHAN SO FAR IDENTIFIED, 9 FROM THE LEE HONG: ANOTHER 11 BODIES UNIDENTIFIED BUT MAY BE MEMBERS OF THE CREW: ALL THE MISSING IN (A) ABOVE ARE CREW OF THESE FERRIES) 185 SMALL CRAFT WERE SUNK OR DAMAGED.
C) ELECTRICITY.
A MAJOR FIRE IN AN ELECTRICAL SUB-STATION IN KOWLOON AT THE ONSET
OF THE TYPHOON INTERRUPTED SUPPLY THROUGHOUT KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR SOME HOURS. FULL SUPPLY TO THE KWUN TONG INDUSTRIAL
AREA IN EASTERN KOWLOON WAS NOT RESTORED FOR SOME DAYS. THIS CAUSED
TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF SOME FACTORIES AND LAYING OFF OF WORKERS.
D) REHABILITATION AND DIRECT PAYMENTS FOR LOSS OF CROPS, FISHING BOATS, LIVESTOCK, DWELLINGS, ETC ARE ESTIMATED TO AMOUNT TO
HK DOLLARS 2.5 MILLION. A FURTHER HK DOLLARS 4.5 MILLION OF DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED TO PUBLIC ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
THIS DOES