Chief Executive John Lee on Saturday said Hong Kong will send a search and rescue team to Myanmar, after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the country.
The massive quake which struck central Myanmar on Friday, also affected neighbouring Thailand, with the death toll passing 1,000.
Lee, along with Secretary for Security Chris Tang sent the rescue team off at the airport in the afternoon.
The CE said the team is made up of professionals from multiple departments.
"This rescue team has 51 members, including the team leader, who is a deputy chief fire officer. Other members come from the Security Bureau, the Fire Services and Immigration Departments and the Hospital Authority. There are also two doctors and two nurses,” he said.
Earlier in a Facebook post, the CE expressed condolences to the victims on behalf of all Hongkongers and the government.
Tang, for his part, said the rescue team would first fly to Yangon and then make a ten-hour drive to reach central Myanmar.
“After arriving, the team will get in touch with the local commander in charge of the rescue operation. Then they will assess to situation and determine which areas and aspects of work the team can help with,” he said.
Tang added the administration has so far received enquiries from 55 Hongkongers as of 5pm, but none of them required assistance.
Meanwhile, a Hongkonger currently in Bangkok, which was also hit by the devastating earthquake on Friday, said he would not cancel his travel plans.
Mr Siu said he was shopping with his wife when he felt the tremor, and the shaking had made people around panic and rush outside for safety.
“It has been a day since the earthquake, and there haven't been many aftershocks. Unless something significant happens, I don't plan to change my itinerary,” he told RTHK on Saturday morning.
Another tourist who flew to Hong Kong from Bangkok on Saturday morning said that normalcy was being restored in the Thai capital after the quake.
“[Transport] is back. Everything is fine today, It’s better than yesterday. But I am still sad about the earthquake. I was working on the 25th floor. I felt the earthquake, [I was] so shocked,” she said.
The Immigration Department said it would continue to monitor the situation and work with Chinese Embassies in Thailand and Myanmar.
Separately, local travel agency, WWPKG, said it will cancel all tour groups to Thailand in April. It said about 150 affected customers can either choose to switch to a different tour or receive a full refund.
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Last updated: 2025-03-29 HKT 18:34
Hong Kong sends rescue team to quake-stricken Myanmar
2025-03-29 HKT 13:06
