XN000022-1994-08-04 — Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1994

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SAID

FINDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL LANDSLIDE EXPERT TO BE PUBLISHED

*

THE ACTING GOVERNOR, MRS ANSON CHAN, THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PUBLISH IN FULL THE FINDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LANDSLIDE EXPERT, DR NORBERT MORGENSTERN, AFTER HIS REVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE KWUN LUNG LAU INCIDENT.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF DR MORGENSTERN AFTER HER VISIT TO THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND THE CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET, MRS CHAN SAID: "DR MORGENSTERN IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH HONG KONG CIRCUMSTANCES, HAVING BEEN A MEMBER OF THE PANEL THAT WAS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR IN 1976 FOLLOWING THE SAU MUN PING LANDSLIDE.

"WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL HAVE THE WORLD'S BEST EXPERT то ADVISE US ON THE INVESTIGATION AND IN THE LIGHT OF THAT INVESTIGATION, WE WILL DECIDE WHAT FURTHER ACTION WE NEED TO TAKE.

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ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WAS PREPARED ΤΟ ACCEPT DR MORGENSTERN'S RECOMMENDATIONS, MRS CHAN SAID SHE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING THE FINDINGS.

"IF

WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE FINDINGS, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE SOME VERY GOOD RESONS, SHE ADDED.

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IN RESPONSE ΤΟ QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S REACTION FOLLOWING THE KWUN LUNG LAU LANDSLIP, MRS CHAN SAID ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED HAD REACTED EXTREMELY QUICKLY TO THIS EMERGENCY.

"OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE FIRE SERVICES WERE ON THE SCENE WITHIN THREE MINUTES AND WITHIN 20 MINUTES, WE SET UP A COMMAND POST," SHE SAID.

"WE EVACUATED ABOUT 2,500 PEOPLE REALLY WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND WE HAD SOMETHING ABOUT 300 GROUND TO COPE WITH THE VARIOUS EMERGENCIES.

VERY, VERY STAFF

ON

THE

ANYTHING,

MRS CHAN SAID SHE DID NOT THINK THAT THERE WAS PARTICULAR, TO CRITICISE, INDEED, EVERYTHING TO COMMEND THE STAFF,

IN

IN

TO

"WE'LL SEE WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNT FROM THIS INCIDENT. PARTICULAR, WE NEED TO SEE WHETHER WE CAN PROVIDE CLEARER GUIDANCE EMPLOYEES WHEN WE HOIST THE BLACK RAINSTORM WARNING," SHE SAID, ADDING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONDUCTING AN INTERNAL REVIEW ON THIS ISSUE.

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