XN000022-1994-07-29 — Page 3

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1994

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EXPERT TO LOOK AT KWUN LUNG LAU LANDSLIDE

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THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE (GEO) WILL INVITE AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED EXPERT TO COME TO HONG KONG TO REVIEW ALL ASPECTS OF ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE LANDSLIDE AT KWUN LUNG LAU ON JULY 23, THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

MR BLAKE SAID THE EXPERT WILL REPORT INDEPENDENTLY TO THE GOVERNMENT AND FINDINGS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.

HE SAID: "ALL PARTIES INVOLVED ARE COLLABORATING TO ENSURE THAT THE GEO IS ABLE TO DELIVER ITS INTERIM FINDINGS IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME WITH THE FINAL DETAILED INVESTIGATION TO FOLLOW AFTER THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF ALL RELEVANT DATA."

HE NOTED THE HOUSING SOCIETY

OPERATED A PREVENTIVE SLOPE

MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME FOR THE ESTATE,

"IT IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE LANDSLIDE AND AN INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL EXPERT WILL HELP THE GEO COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATION THOROUGHLY," MR BLAKE SAID.

MR BLAKE NOTED THE CURRENT TERRITORY-WIDE PROGRAMME OF LANDSLIDE PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAD BEEN REVIEWED PRIOR TO THE KWUN LUNG LAU INCIDENT AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BEEN DEPLOYED TO SPEED UP SLOPE IMPROVEMENT WORKS ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT SINCE 1977 TO

IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL ON FILL SLOPES INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS HAVE SERVED HONG KONG WELL.

"WITHOUT THE EXTENSIVE WORK CARRIED OUT SINCE THEN, THE UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF RAINFALL RECORDED THIS MONTH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN FAR GREATER LOSS TO HONG KONG.

"WE ARE NOT HOWEVER COMPLACENT AND ANY INCIDENT INVOLVING LOSS OF LIFE DEMANDS THE FULLEST INVESTIGATION. THIS IS WHY WE WILL BRING IN AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERT TO REVIEW THE GEO'S INVESTIGATION INDEPENDENTLY,"

REFERRING TO

THE REMEDIAL WORK BEING CARRIED OUT ON SITE AT KWUN LUNG LAU, MR BLAKE NOTED THAT GEO ENGINEERS WERE WORKING CLOSELY WITH BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT, TO SUPERVISE THE TEMPORARY SLOPE

STABILISATION WORK.

THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED: "BLOCK C WILL BE RE-OPEN THIS AFTERNOON AND BLOCK D UPON COMPLETION OF MORE SUBSTANTIAL STABILISATION WORK.

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ON GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT, MR BLAKE STRESSED THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY DELAY IN DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCY.

HE NOTED THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WITHIN THREE MINUTES AND A COMMAND POST WAS SET UP WITHIN 20 MINUTES AT THE NEARBY USD SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX.

THE RESCUE AND REMEDIAL WORK WAS WELL CO-ORDINATED AND DURING COURSE OF THE EMERGENCY, OVER 300 STAFF FROM THE POLICE, FIRE SERVICES, CNTA, SWD, GEO AND BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT WERE DEPLOYED.

THE

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