XN000022-1976-08-31 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1976

THIS REPORT WOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE INTERNATIONAL PANEL OF EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE PANEL WOULD ALSO WORK WITH BINNIES AS NECESSARY IN STUDYING THE DATA THROWN UP IN THE COURSE OF THE PREPARATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE LANDSLIDE.

MR. BELL POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE CONSULTANTS' INVESTIGATIONS WERE NATURALLY CENTRED ON THE LANDSLIDE SLOPE BEHIND BLOCKS 9 AND 15 OF SAU MAU PING ESTATE, THEY WERE ALSO CHECKING ON OTHER SLOPES IN THE AREA.

+ IF ANY OF THESE SHOWS ANY SIGN OF DISTRESS, THEY WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH MONITORING DEVICES, AS IS THE CASE WITH SLOPES IN POPULATED AREAS IDENTIFIED UNDER PHASE ONE OF THE LANDSLIP STUDY AS WARRANTING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.+

+AND IN VIEW OF SOME OF THE QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN VOICED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE WAKE OF THE SAU MAU PING TRAGEDY, I WOULD STRESS AGAIN THAT WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THOSE AREAS WHERE MONITORING HAS BEEN CONSIDERED NECESSARY.

+ALL SUCH AREAS HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH DEVICES TO GIVE US PLENTY OF WARNING OF ANY CHANGE IN THE CONDITION OF THE SLOPES,

+THESE MONITORING DEVICES ARE CHECKED REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND FREQUENTLY DURING THE WET SEASON. THE FREQUENCY OF THESE CHECKS IS INCREASED WHEN THERE IS ANY FORECAST OF TYPHOONS OR RAINSTORMS, AND DURING WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS THOSE EXPERIENCED LAST WEEK, THEY ARE CHECKED CONTINUOUSLY.

+THE. DEVICES ARE PLACED SO AS TO GIVE BOTH LONG-RANGE WARNINGS AND MORE IMMINENT WARNINGS OF ANY DANGER IN THE AREA. THEY GIVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR ANY NECESSARY ACTION TO BE TAKEN.+

MR. BELL SAID THE CONSULTANTS HAD COMPLETED SITE INVESTIGATIONS IN ALL THE AREAS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY, AND SOIL TESTING HAD ALSO BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED IN ALL AREAS.

COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS HAD ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED ON THE DOZEN SITES CONSIDERED TO POSE THE GREATEST PROBLEM, AND THE REMEDIAL WORKS RECOMMENDED WERE EITHER UNDER WAY OR COMPLETE.

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+WE ARE DUE TO GET NINE MORE REPORTS IN NOVEMBER, ONE IN DECEMBER AND THE REMAINING SEVEN IN FEBRUARY, HE SAID.

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