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A team of more than 110 support personnel is staying on in Thailand to help those affected by the tsumanis and their families.

Ms Linda So, Coordinator of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government support team in Phuket thanked members of the team who returned to Hong Kong today (January 5) following an adjustment in manpower deployment as announced by the Government yesterday. She assured Hong Kong residents that the number could offer essential assistance on the ground.

Among the 57 who returned to Hong Kong, 55 departed from Phuket via Bangkok, where they were joined by two officers of the Immigration Department. Ms So saw them off in Phuket this morning.

"Following the manpower adjustment, there are still more than 110 officers in Thailand who will continue to offer assistance to those Hong Kong residents in need following the tsunamis. We can assure our residents that we are here to support them," Ms So said.

Twenty-one of the returning officers are from the Immigration Department, 16 are from the Hong Kong Police Force, eight are from the Auxiliary Medical Service, eight are from the Civil Aid Service, four are medical personnel.

Late today, Ms So joined Mr Hua Jinzhou, the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Songkhla, to participate in the memorial service organised by the Thai authorities in Phuket for victims of the tsunamis.

Meanwhile, police officers are continuing to locate Hong Kong residents who have lost contact with their families by visiting hotels and resorts along the west coast of Phuket.

Team members would continue to provide every possible assistance to the Hong Kong girl in critical condition in a Phuket hospital and her mother.

To complement the Thai effort to set up a DNA database of the deceased, the support team has so far helped to take samples from nine family members who are currently in Thailand.

Those who would like to submit a DNA sample to the Thai authorities for matching may approach the support team's command centre in Phuket for assistance.

Ends/Wednesday, January 5, 2005

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