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Ambrose Li

Hong Kong has sent a team of 51 emergency workers and two rescue dogs to earthquake-stricken Myanmar at the request of the country, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said, while expressing his condolences to the victims.
Lee said on Saturday he was very grateful for the rescuers and the support of their families.
“Unfazed by challenges that lie ahead, you have displayed bravery and selflessness at a time of emergency and crisis. You’re the pride of Hong Kong,” he said at an airport send-off at about 3.20pm.
The city leader said the government would provide all support possible to assist in the smooth and safe completion of the operation.
“I, on behalf of the Hong Kong government, would like to express my deepest condolences to the victims and extend sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured,” he said.
The government’s disaster relief fund has reserved HK$30 million for the rescue mission to Myanmar, with the fund’s advisory committee to expedite relevant funding requests.
“The government has been maintaining close contact with local rescue organisations to consolidate a concrete disaster relief plan in order to provide suitable aid to those affected and help them sail through adverse times to return to normalcy,” a government spokesman said on Saturday evening.
On Friday, a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake centred in the Sagaing region near the Myanmar city of Mandalay caused extensive damage in the country, which has already had much of its infrastructure ravaged by four years of civil war.
The quake also shook neighbouring Thailand, bringing down a skyscraper under construction in the country’s capital.
The overall death toll exceeded 1,000 on Saturday.
Han Win Naing, Myanmar’s consul general in Hong Kong, also attended the rescue team’s send-off and thanked the city for the “very helpful and kind sentiment” in providing help to his country’s citizens, “who are in need at this difficult time”.
“On behalf of the government and people of Myanmar and myself, I would like to express my appreciation to the Hong Kong government for providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar,” he said.


Hong Kong’s team comprises 51 members: 41 from the Fire Services Department; four from the Security Bureau; two from the police force; and two doctors and two nurses from the Hospital Authority. Two rescue dogs are also accompanying the group.
The team is flying to Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, with nine tonnes of supplies, including life detectors, search tools, satellite phones and drones. They will then head off on a 10-hour car journey.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, who was also at the airport, said the search and rescue team was assembled before the consul general put in a request to the government.
Tang stressed that the team underwent regular training in disaster relief.
“After the rescue mission in Turkey in 2023, we’ve had a lot of training and preparations for overseas operations. In fact, the Fire Services Department staff had training just three days ago, which is why we could dispatch the team in such a swift manner this time around,” Tang said.
He did not say how long the team would stay in Myanmar, but noted that another group of a similar size was also ready to be deployed should more manpower or replacements be required.
The team is set to work with local authorities upon arrival in the Southeast Asian country, along with a group of mainland Chinese rescuers who arrived on Saturday.
Tang said Myanmar’s warm climate posed different challenges compared with the cold conditions in Turkey, where Hong Kong had sent a similarly sized team to help in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.8 quake. This time, special attention would be paid to medical services.
He said the city had not received calls for help from Hongkongers overseas in connection with the disaster, but the Immigration Department had recorded 55 inquiries as of 5pm.
Hong Kong travel agency Worldwide Package Travel Service, or WWPKG, does not currently have any tour groups in neighbouring Thailand.

But the agency announced it would cancel all tours to the country in April, citing safety concerns. Affected customers could choose to participate in another tour or ask for a refund.
Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of travel agency EGL Tours, said he saw no need to cancel tours to Thailand organised by his company, with the next one leaving Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The United States Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Programme said that the fatalities could be between 10,000 and 100,000 people, and the economic impact could be as high as 70 per cent of Myanmar’s gross domestic product.
More than 2,000 have been confirmed injured, according to media reports.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority said on Saturday there were no flight cancellations to Thailand for the day, as of the latest updates at 10am. However, two outbound and three inbound flights would be delayed for the day.
The services are operated by HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines.
“Amber” travel alerts – the lowest level in a three-tier warning system – have been in place since June 2012 and September 2015 for Myanmar and Thailand respectively.
Residents who intend to visit the countries or are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, prioritise personal safety, and avoid protests and large gatherings of people, according to the amber alert guidelines.
A “red” alert – the second-highest level – is in place for Myanmar’s southeastern regions amid worries over forced labour scams.


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The rescue team at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Jelly Tse

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Society

Chief Executive John Lee expresses condolences to victims, with one estimate putting potential fatalities at 10,000 to 100,000 people


Chief Executive John Lee expresses condolences to victims, with one estimate putting potential fatalities at 10,000 to 100,000 people.
