TNAG-2669-FCO40-3866-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-1993 — Page 167

06-08-1993 10:06 HKGO LONDON 071 495 5033

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Asprey: Not ja my knowledge, not as far as I know.

Question: which hosptials will be most likely to be used?

Asprey: I don't know at this stage. That is something that the Hospital Authority would have to assess at the time, given the number of Casualties and I suppose the type of injuries involved. Obviously we would make arrangements to send them to wherever could best treat them.

Question: When did NGNA make the request?

Asprey: At 7.30 this evening, they first contacted the Political Adviser and we've been in regular contacts with them since then.

Question: But have they been specific about what are the things they want, there are so many

?

Asprey: Well, they asked particularly for assistance with fighting the fire, but we felt that it was necessary to have the Director of Fire Services go up to assess the situation on the ground to see what way he could best assist so that's being done now.

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Question: Why wasn't help given earlier, why do you wait for request?

Asprey: We did not have details of the incident.

We did not know what had happened. We did not know that they wanted assistance or what sorte of assistance they wanted so we waited for request.

Question: When the nirectes et Fire Services will *ive the repert and tha assaṣemont result?

Asprey: As soon as he can.

Question: You mean by midnight or

Asprey: I don't know, thorough assessment.

we've got to wait for him to go and make a

Question: Do you mean that he is now working..

Asprey: He left here by helicopter about half-an-hour, more than half-an-hour ago. I'm sure he's up there now, either making an Assessment, gither in the air or possibly he's already done it. don't have that up-to-date information.

Question: Who is flying him there, is the Hong Kong Flying Service?

Asprey: Yes, the Government Flying Service.

Question: Is this the first time Hong Kong was asked for help from

across the border?

Asprey: I think it's certainly the first time I can remember help in thia anes of incident being asked for. It's not by any means 59 first time that the Government Flying Service has been across the border. It'a dene so for casualty evacuation on several occasions in

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