Authorities have activated the government-wide mobilization protocol, with 250 civil servants deployed to four locations in the North District to help clear up the aftermath of the torrential downpour that hit Hong Kong late on Thursday and Friday. The civil servants joining in on the relief work on Saturday were from the Judiciary, ICAC, Education Bureau, Inland Revenue Department, Marine Department, Department of Health, and the Environmental Protection Department. At Ma Mei Ha Tsuen in Fanling, the civil servants were seen helping the villagers remove fallen branches from the roads and pavements. Yeung added that it could be difficult to immediately mobilize civil servants through the protocol to respond to major events. The government-wide mobilization protocol was introduced in Chief Executive John Lee's 2022 policy address, where the protocol goes into effect when major incidents occur.

Source: The Standard September 09, 2023 17:56 UTC