Divisional Commander of Shek Kip Mei Christopher Jones said: "The evacuation ran smoothly with the majority of residents following our officers' advice to leave their homes immediately.

"In view of the large number of residents involved, officers from both SKM Division and Emergency Unit Kowloon West were deployed to the scene by the Kowloon Regional Command and Control Centre.

"Officers involved in the operation were patient and polite in dealing with the residents," Mr Jones noted.

Patrol Sub-Unit Team 1 Police Constable Cheung Man-fai was the first police officer to arrive at the scene. Initially, only those living on the lower floors of Block 36 needed to be evacuated.

Area secured: Officers cordon off the slope outside Shek Kip Mei Estate

However, during the process PC Cheung heard a noise and saw two rocks rolling down the slope. He immediately asked for reinforcement. Eventually residents at Blocks 35, 36 and 38 had to be evacuated and further assistance was provided by officers from PTU Y Company of Kowloon East Region.

Patrol Sub-Unit Team 4 Sergeant Barry Yiu Wai-chiu said some elderly people were unwilling to leave while some told officers they would go after finishing preparing their dinner.

"We had to try our best to persuade them to go immediately in view of the dangerous situation," SGT Yiu said.

As some elderly people were unable to walk, police officers carried them on their backs to safety.

PC Cheung said: "One elderly woman had to rely on medical equipment to provide her with oxygen. We immediately arranged an ambulance to take her to hospital."

"There was not a minute to lose as the slope might have collapsed further. Fortunately no casualties were reported."

A tenant helped officers by offering his ground floor flat, just opposite the scene, to be used as a police command post. Patrol Sub-Unit Team 1 Police Constable Cheung Kim-fung, who was working at the command post, said the tenant even provided them with tables and chairs to facilitate their work.

"Some people came to the command post anxiously to check whether their relatives were safe.

"A number of elderly people spoke Hakka rather than Cantonese and I found my knowledge of Hakka very useful in communicating with them," Cheung Kim-fung said.

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