XN000022-1992-09-23 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1992

GOVERNOR VISITS ISLANDS DISTRICT

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, VISITED THE ISLANDS DISTRICT THIS (WEDNESDAY} AFTERNOON, TOURING ΤΑΙ

AND SOUTH COAST OF LANTAU ISLAND, AS WELL AS SOK KWU WAN VILLAGE ON ISLAND.

THE LAMMA

MR PATTEN WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY THE REGIONAL SECRETARY (NEW TERRITORIES), MR ALBERT LAM AND ISLANDS DISTRICT OFFICER, MR KIM SALKELD.

MET BY THE

IN TAI O, A TRADITIONAL FISHING COMMUNITY, HE WAS ISLANDS DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMAN, MR DANIEL LAM AND OTHER RURAL COMMITTEE LEADERS.

HE THEN VISITED THE MARKET AREA, CROSSED THE TAI O CREEK ON THE OLD "ROPE FERRY", AND LOOKED IN ON THE CATHOLIC WING CHOR PRIMARY SCHOOL.

AT

CHEUNG SHA HE MET DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS FROM SOUTH AND DISCUSSED LOCAL AFFAIRS WITH THEM.

HE THEN FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO LAMMA ISLAND, AND TOURED KWU SOK

WAN WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND FISHERMEN. VISITED THE TIN HAU TEMPLE WHICH WAS ONLY RECENTLY RESTORED.

LANTAU

AROUND

HE ALSO

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SYMPATHY FOR FAMILIES OF CONTAINER SHIP CREWMEN

THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR TONY MILLER. TODAY (WEDNESDAY} EXPRESSED HIS SYMPATHY FOR THE FAMILIES OF EIGHT HONG KONG MERCHANT NAVY OFFICERS SERVING ON BOARD THE PANAMANIAN-REGISTERED CONTAINER SHIP "OCEAN BLESSING".

THE 22,600-TONNE SHIP WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH A 52,700-TONNE LIBERIAN-REGISTERED TANKER IN THE MALACCA STRAIT ON SUNDAY (SEPTEMBER 20) AND HER CREW OF 21 INCLUDING THE EIGHT HONG KONG OFFICERS ARE STILL ALL UNACCOUNTED FOR.

"I SHOULD LIKE TO ASSURE THE FAMILIES DURING THEIR ANXIOUS WAIT FOR NEWS THAT THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY ENDEAVOUR TO OBTAIN ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE FATE THE HONG KONG CREW MEMBERS,

MR MILLER SAID.

OF

THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE JAKARTA RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION, RESCUE VESSELS AT THE SCENE AND THE HONG KONG AGENTS OF THE "OCEAN BLESSING", SEEKING THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE INCIDENT.

IN THE

TWENTY-ONE CREW MEMBERS OF THE OTHER SHIP INVOLVED ACCIDENT, THE LIBERIAN TANKER "NAGASAGI SPIRIT", ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. ONLY TWO SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN FOUND FROM THEIR SHIP.

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