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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1994
OF
*
BEFORE THE VOYAGE, A MASTER SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ONE KNOWS WHERE THE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES ARE AND KNOWS HOW то PUT ON A LIFEJACKET PROPERLY. ALSO, ALL CHILDREN SHOULD WEAR LIFEJACKETS AT ALL TIMES. A LIST OF NAMES OF ALL PERSONS ON BOARD IS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. THE MASTER SHOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT THE VESSEL HAS NOT OVERLOADED ITS LICENSED PASSENGER CAPACITY.
IN THE HARBOUR, ALL VESSELS SHOULD GO AT A SAFE SPEED OF NOT EXCEEDING FIVE KNOTS AND MAINTAIN A PROPER LOOKOUT AT ALL TIMES. AS BRIGHT LIGHT INTERFERES WITH KEEPING OF A PROPER AND
LOOKOUT, CABIN LIGHTS SHOULD BE SWITCHED OFF
SEARCHLIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE USED.
FINALLY, MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THERE WOULD BE A LARGE NUMBER MARINE DEPARTMENT, MARINE POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES VESSELS EITHER STATIONED OR PATROLLING IN THE CENTRAL HARBOUR AREA. THESE VESSELS COULD BE IDENTIFIED BY THEIR FLASHING RED OR BLUE LIGHTS.
HE
APPEALED TO MASTERS TO FOLLOW ANY
FROM THESE VESSELS.
INSTRUCTIONS
ORIGINATED
MR CHAN STRESSED THAT IN EVENT THAT A VESSEL WAS IN DANGER AND REQUIRED HELP, THE MASTER COULD:
*
CALL THE MARINE DEPARTMENT ON VHF RADIO TELEPHONE CHANNEL 16 USING MARDEP, OR ON TEL 545 0181;
CALL THE MARINE POLICE ON TEL 366 5827 OR 368 8770;
*
CALL 999; OR
* INDICATE THE NEED OF HELP USING DISTRESS SIGNALS.
ALSO ATTENDING THE PRESS CONFERENCE WERE
THE SENIOR MARINE OFFICER (CENTRAL), MR LAI YU-WAH; THE DIVISION COMMANDER (HARBOUR DIVIS (ON) OF THE MARINE POLICE, MR LAURENCE KNOX; AND THE DIVISIONAL OFFICER (MARINE) OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR FUNG KAM-WAH.
320 VMS RETURN HOME
TWO GROUPS OF 320 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS TODAY (TUESDAY) RETURNED TO VIETNAM UNDER THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.
COMPRISING 101 MEN, 86 WOMEN, 77 BOYS AND 56 GIRLS, THEY WERE THE 201ST AND 202ND BATCHES TO GO BACK UNDER THE PROGRAMME.
THE TWO GROUPS BROUGHT TO 2,283 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE
TO MIGRANTS WHO HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY THIS YEAR, AND
40,896 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RETURNEES SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED IN MARCH 1989.
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