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A government spokesman said that, to assist and facilitate the safe return of Hong Kong residents affected by the Tsunamis hitting Phuket in Southern Thailand, the HKSARG will send two officers of the Immigration Department there this (December 27) morning.

The two officers are Senior Immigration Officer Leung Chiu-pun, and Immigration Officer Yung Chi-keung. They will take the TG609 flight to Phuket that will depart at 11 am. A major role of the two officers will be to provide assistance to Hong Kong residents who have lost their travel documents during the chaos caused by the Tsunamis so that they can, if they so wish, return to Hong Kong as early as possible.

According to the spokesman, up to 7 am today, the Immigration Department has received 276 cases of enquiries and 190 requests for assistance. Representatives of the Chinese Embassy have already arrived in Phuket and visited a number of Hong Kong residents there. Hong Kong residents who are abroad and need assistance may contact the Chinese Embassy/Chinese Consulate general in their destination or call the Hong Kong Immigration Department's 24-hour hotline at (852) 2829 3010. Local residents needing assistance can also call the hotline.

Ends/Monday, December 27, 2004

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