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Saturday, August 5, 1972
PUBLIC SPIRITED VILLAGER AVERTS TRAIN MISHAP
An alert and public spirited villager in Tai Po averted a serious
train mishap at the risk of his own life during the rainstorm on June 17, thus saving many people on board the train from being injured or killed.
He is Mr. Lau Tin, 42, the operator of a cold drink shop near the
White House in Tai Po. He is married with five children.
A landslide occurred at the 13% railway milestone at about 5 p.n. on June 17, covering the railway track with large quantity of mud and sand. At that time,a train from Kowloon was about to pass through.
Mr. Lau, who lives near the place where the landslide took place, saw what had happened and thought of the danger it might cause to the train.
Despite the heavy rainfall and thunderstorm, Mr. Lau immediately rushed to the track, stood on it and signalled the train to stop by waving a red and
white checkered table-cloth.
It was the signals that gave the driver of the train just enough time
to stop the train before running into the heap of mud and sand.
There were about 1,000 passengers on board the train.
In recognition of his public spirited action, a letter of appreciation together with a token cash reward of $500 will be presented to Mr. Lau by the acting General Manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, Mr. U.L. Wong.
The presentation will be made at the District Office, Tai Po, on
Wednesday (August 9) afternoon.
/Note to Editors: