XN000022-1994-07-24 — Page 3

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 1994

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TRANSCRIPT OF THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

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THE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR,

то THE MRS ANSON CHAN, SPEAKING

PRESS AFTER HER VISIT TO SMITHFIELD LANDSLIDE SITE THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING: -

ENGLISH

ALL,

AND I

MRS CHAN:

BOTH GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'LL SAY IT IN CHINESE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE WORRIED. FIRST OF THINK WE ARE ALL VERY SADDENED BY THIS VERY TRAGIC EVENT THAT HAPPENED LATE YESTERDAY. EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY AND RESCUE AS MANY AS POSSIBLE FROM THE LANDSLIDE BUT THAT OPERATION WAS STOPPED EARLY THIS MORNING. I THINK, UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHANCES OF FINDING ANYBODY STILL ALIVE, BURIED UNDER THE MUD, IS PROBABLY VERY VERY SLIM. AND IT'S NOT, AT THE MOMENT, SAFE TO CONTINUE THE DIGGING.

BE

FOR

CO- THE

THE EXPERTS HAVE HAD A LOOK AT THE BLOCKS CONCERNED AND WE WILL D AND APPLYING FOR A CLOSURE ORDER TOMORROW MORNING FOR BLOCKS C BECAUSE THESE TWO BUILDINGS ARE AT RISK. FOR RESIDENTS OF BLOCKS A AND B WHICH ARE CONSIDERED SAFE, THEY WILL BE ALLOWED BACK INTO THE IR FLATS LATER TODAY AND THE POLICE WILL ARRANGE FOR THIS. I DO ASK EVERYBODY CONCERNED WITH THIS, BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND OTHERS, TO OPERATE FULLY WITH THE POLICE, AS SOON AS WE'VE APPLIED CLOSURE ORDER TOMORROW AND ASSUMING THAT IT WILL BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE WE CAN DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS SAFE TO RE-OPEN THESE TWO BLOCKS, THE RESIDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED BACK INTO THEIR FLATS TO COLLECT THEIR BELONGINGS UNDER POLICE ESCORT. BUT, AGAIN, THE POLICE WILL ARRANGE FOR THIS.

AND

HAND.

FOR

AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE HOUSING SOCIETY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY AND PROVIDE TEMPORARY SHELTERS AND ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION. I AM INFORMED BY THE HOUSING SOCIETY THAT FOR THOSE RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY THE CLOSURE OF BLOCKS C AND D, THE HOUSING SOCIETY WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION IN VACANT BLOCKS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE IN THEY ARE ALSO IN DISCUSSION WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO SEE WHETHER THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN TAKE THOSE WHOM THE HOUSING SOCIETY CANNOT TAKE. AND IF AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S NOT SUFFICIENT, THEN THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION WILL OBVIOUSLY DO THEIR VERY BEST TO TRY AND FIND TEMPORARY SHELTERS. I'D ALSO, OF COURSE,

LIKE TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO UNFORTUNATELY DIED IN THIS ACCIDENT AND TO THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOSPITALISED. I HOPE THAT THEY WILL RECOVER VERY SOON.

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SHENZHEN TO DISCHARGE WATER FROM RESERVOIR

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IN RESPONSE ΤΟ PRESS ENQUIRIES ON DISCHARGING WATER FROM SHENZHEN RESERVOIR, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID:

PM

"HONG KONG HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THE SHENZHEN AUTHORITY THAT WATER WOULD BE DISCHARGED FROM THE SHENZHEN RESERVOIR FROM ABOUT 9 TODAY (SUNDAY).

/"SHE GOVERNMENT