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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. C. K. CHAN:-No, I mean any time earlier than December 1972 (Laughter) December 1971.
(3) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question:-
It was reported in the newspapers that a child aged 8 was drowned in the Lei Cheng Uk swimming pool which has not yet been opened to the public. Would the Chairman please inform this Council whether or not an investigation has been made in this case? If so, what are the findings and what measures have been taken to prevent a recurrence?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows:---
I am informed that the history of this unfortunate affair is as follows. Although the Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool is not yet open to the public, the department has two officers posted there as watchmen, a Chargeman/Artisan and a Labourer.
At about 7.15 on the night of 14 September, the Chargeman/Artisan saw a group of children climbing over the fence near the teaching pool. He tried to persuade them to go back, but as they refused to do so he then went to the office in order to ring up the Police for assistance. On his way, he discovered that another group of about 30 children had already got into the main pool. He saw one of these children, an 8-year old boy, lying on the bottom of the pool. The boy was pulled out of the pool in an unconscious condition, and the Chargeman immediately rang for an ambulance and reported the matter to the Police.
The Chargeman/Artisan tried to find out from the other boys how they had got into the pool, but they were unwilling to tell him. Since this incident, all possible illegal entry points have been temporarily reinforced with barbed wire, and the department is in contact with the Public Works Department to see whether any additional permanent fences or gates are required.
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, I am very thankful for Mr. SALES' answer to this. I hope that in future, after this tragic lesson, all possible, I mean preventive measures will be taken in all of our swimming pools not open to the public.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SALES:--Mr. Chairman, may I point out to Dr. HUANG, that this tragedy occurred on the 14th September. In fact my attention was brought to it by friends of mine in the swimming association immediately, so much so that I raised this point in the Select Committee meeting early on the morning of the 17th September, and immediately this was investigated. In fact, even before the letter was received from Dr. HUANG. So this matter was taken in hand immediately by the department. Now, in direct answer to Dr. HUANG's question, the pool had not become operational. In fact it was a caretaking arrangement when this accident occurred. It is most unfortunate and we are very sympathetic, but there is very little authorities anywhere in the world can do if boys insist on swimming where they are not supposed to do. I can vouch from personal experience that I used to go swimming with Mr. CHEONG-LEEN (Laughter), as I have mentioned to the Council, in places where we were not supposed to. This accident is very regrettable but no blame can be attached to the staff at all. Additional precautions will be taken this time and in the future, but such precaution will still not obviate the unfortunate possibility of a recurrence.
MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, as the same thing happened at the same swimming pool more than a year ago, and I tried my best at that time to get more precautions, why were not precautions taken sooner, these extra precautions talked about here?
CHAIRMAN:-A year ago, Mrs. ELLIOTT, the pool was still in the course of building; it has only now been handed over to us.
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo:--Mr. Chairman, may I ask, since the swimming pool is not yet open, why was it filled with water?
CHAIRMAN: Obviously we must test whether all the pipes are in order, whether the filtration plant is operating and all such connected machinery and equipment. Obviously you can't open a pool when it is empty. You have to fill it and try everything out first.
MR. SALES: Moreover, Mr. Chairman, it is bad for a swimming pool to be without water because of the pressure that the water also provides in the pool, and I should imagine that our technical experts would be able to verify that it is bad to keep a swimming pool without water for any length of time.
(4) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
The inadequate size of newspaper stalls has long been recognized. In view of recent police prosecutions of newspaper hawkers for over-sized stalls, what is being done about this recognized need?
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