XN000022-1994-07-25 — Page 4

MONDAY, JULY 25, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

OUTSIDE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

SPEAKING

FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR

TO REPORTERS OUTSIDE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON TODAY (MONDAY):

GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING. I THINK YOU KNOW THAT I AM PROPOSING TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO YOUR AFTER MY MEETINGS AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE THIS AFTERNOON, BUT I DID JUST WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THE DISASTER AT SMITHFIELD ROAD.

I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING THIS MORNING TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY, WHO IS DEPUTY AND ACTING GOVERNOR, ABOUT THE DISASTER. I WOULD LIKE ΤΟ OFFER MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE DISASTER.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND THE WORK DONE BY THE EMERGENCY SERVICES TO HELP DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DISASTER. ANSON CHAN TOLD ME ON THE PHONE THAT OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNMENT ARE REVIEWING AS A MATTER OF URGENCY THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THE DANGEROUS SLOPES AND WE MUST LEARN EVERY LESSON FROM THIS DISASTER AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE AND TRY TO PREVENT THE SAME SORT OF THING HAPPENING AGAIN.

OBVIOUSLY THE WEATHER

CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ALMOST UNIQUELY APPALLING WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DISASTER.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE AREAS AFFECTED?

GOVERNOR: IT IS SMITHFIELD ROAD, IN KENNEDY TOWN.

QUESTION: YOU DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER AREAS AFFECTED AT ALL?

GOVERNOR:

NO. OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNMENT

SURE THAT THAY HAS BEEN DONE ON THE DANGEROUS SLOPE TO MAKE

WE HAVE TAKEN ADQUATE MEASURES. THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS IS OBVIOUSLY THE KEY POSITION TO DO THAT.

IS REVIEWING ALL THE WORK

IN

THANK YOU.

SLOPE STABILISATION WORK IN HAND

*

:

THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) EMERGENCY WORK HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO STEM THE WATER 1NFLOW AND STABILISE THE SURFACE OF THE SLOPE BEHIND A MASONRY WALL WHICH COLLAPSED AT KWUN LUNG LAU ESTATE LAST SATURDAY NIGHT.

MR BLAKE SAID: "ENGINEERS FROM BOTH THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE AND THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT ARE ON SITE ROUND THE CLOCK TO SUPERVISE THE EMERGENCY WORK BEING UNDERTAKEN BY CONTRACTORS HIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

/"WE HAVE