The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has made every effort to deal with the aftermath of the rainstorm. The society as a whole has resumed normal operation
People's Daily, September 10, Hong Kong - Recently, rainstorm caused by the residual low-pressure trough of typhoon "Haikui" occurred in Hong Kong, resulting in flooding in a wide range of areas, obstruction of public transportation, and landslides. In response, the Hong Kong SAR government is making every effort to address the aftermath.
On the 10th, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Lee Ka chao, held a meeting to listen to a group of officials reporting on the work of various departments, road repairs, and work arrangements and deployments. He reminded all departments to maintain the highest level of dedication to post disaster work, racing against time to restore normal social operations and minimize the inconvenience of daily life for citizens.
On the same afternoon, the Secretary for Home Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Chen Guoji, and several Policy Bureau officials held a cross departmental press conference. Chen Guoji said that the recent extremely heavy rainstorm caused flooding and mountain mud pouring in a wide range of areas, and extreme conditions occurred in many areas. With the concerted efforts of various government departments and regional organizations, the overall market in Hong Kong has resumed basic normal operation, and there should be no problem for citizens to go to work or school on Mondays. As for some schools that have temporarily been unable to resume face-to-face classes due to post cleaning work, the Education Bureau will continue to follow up and provide appropriate support.
Chen Guoji stressed that in response to the impact of the extremely heavy rainstorm, the emergency and rehabilitation work of various government departments has never stopped: the Highways Department and relevant contractors have basically completed clearing the routes of main roads and buses, the Transport Department and public transport operators have been in close contact, and railway services have generally resumed normal operation; The confirmed flooding situation by the Drainage Services Department has been fully addressed, and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will also inspect the black spots of flooding in various districts to quickly clear the debris and garbage on the streets; The relevant departments under the Development Bureau are comprehensively identifying the slopes, trees and buildings with potential risks after the rainstorm, and carrying out emergency works and enclosures according to the actual situation.
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Carrie Lam, stated that as of the evening of the 9th, the Highways Department has repaired approximately 80 roads damaged by flooding, road subsidence, and landslides; With the efforts of various units, most of the main roads have been opened, and the temporary roadbed reinforcement of Shi'ao Road has been completed, and a new lane has been successfully reopened. The Emergency Traffic Coordination Center of the department will closely monitor Hong Kong's transportation and public transportation services to ensure smooth traffic and take appropriate mitigation measures.
The Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Ning Hanhao, stated that after extreme weather, trees, buildings, or slopes have absorbed a large amount of rainwater, and there are still risks. He urged citizens to stay away from the slopes and avoid staying under trees as much as possible. The various departments of the bureau are concentrating resources to allocate manpower, aiming to complete the inspection of high-risk areas within a few days and follow up on relevant issues.
It is reported that as of noon on the 10th, the Hong Kong Geotechnical Engineering Department has received a total of 75 reports of landslides, of which 19 have been involved in comprehensive road closures, and the majority have been lifted so far; The Hong Kong Police Force and Fire Services Department have received 132 and 443 requests for help respectively, the vast majority of which have been processed; The Education Bureau has received reports of campus damage from 117 schools, with 10 schools temporarily unable to provide face-to-face courses on Monday due to campus damage.
In addition, during the rainstorm, the power of about 3000 users of Hong Kong Electric Light Co., Ltd. and about 300 users of China Power Co., Ltd. was affected, and power supply has been restored.
Chen Guoji stated that the SAR government has initiated a mobilization mechanism for civil servants to accelerate post disaster work and will continue to monitor the situation in each district through regional contact networks, providing necessary assistance to citizens in need.
