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1996 Pat Sin Leng wildfire

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270: 45: 191:. The fire quickly spread upwards, out of control. As the downhill escape route was blocked by the fire, the group was forced to flee up hill. Thirty-two students escaped and raised the alarm; but 18 people were trapped in Ma Lau Ai (Monkey Cliff). Teachers Chow Chi-Tsai and Wong Shuo Mei perished attempting to help students escape, while other injured students were left on the cliff waiting for rescue. 211:(GFS) sent two helicopters to help fight the fire and rescue the severely injured. Rescuers provided first aid on the scene. Seriously injured victims were rushed to hospital by helicopters, while those with less severe injuries were carried away by the rescue crew. The first group of victims were sent to Tai Po Jockey Club Clinic. Ten seriously injured victims were transferred to the 235:. In accordance with the Code of Practice, they fastened their safety belt before pulling the victims onto the helicopter. However, due to his sight being obscured by the smoke, the pilot was unable to see the victims. The helicopter succeeded only in lifting the rescuer as it climbed, as the harness was not properly fastened around the casualties. 238:
The helicopter returned to rescue two casualties, who were thought to be those who fell during previous rescue, but they were proved mistaken. The next day, rescuers found the last missing person, and found he was one of the victims who fell in the initial rescue attempt.
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hearings were held in May 1996. The coroner believed that the fire was caused by students smoking. The court also noted that the teacher-student ratio was 1 to 12, less than the 1 to 10 standard. The teachers also did not have appropriate telecommunication
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An unusual incident occurred with the Government Flying Service's helicopter in the rescue operation. Two casualties were spotted when crew members landed using the helicopter's
120:. The disaster killed three students and two teachers at the Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School and injured a further 13 students. 181: 319: 155: 301:'s emergency Co-ordination Centre was not in operation during this incident, hence the search and rescue effort was somewhat lacking in co-ordination. 420: 232: 458: 146:
were led by five teachers in the "Golden Leg" Hiking activities which were held jointly by Geographic Society of the school and the
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built a "Spring Breeze Pavilion" on Pat Sin Leng to commemorate the two teachers who died saving the students in the tragedy.
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The wildfire burnt for over 40 hours. At 11:00 the following day, all fires were extinguished.
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The fire was discovered at about 11:20, just as the group was around 150 metres away from
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Some criticised the procedure that ambulances had to carry patients to the nearest
207:(CAS) were dispatched and the search and rescue operation commenced at 12:23. The 528: 73: 269: 558: 384: 371: 188: 22: 279: 166: 131: 105: 158: 251:
Casualties: 5 (Teachers Chow Chi-Tsai, Wong Shuo Mei and three students)
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at the time) lacked the ability to handle any large-scale crisis.
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department, Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD), and the
291: 320:"When deadly Hong Kong hill fire killed five on a school hike" 226: 428: 49:
The "Spring Breeze Pavilion" built in commemoration
556: 414: 144:HKCWC Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School 199:More than 200 staff and volunteers from the 184:, warning of a very high risk of wildfires. 112:February, 1996 (Saturday). It was the worst 130:After the disaster, the area suffered from 421: 407: 108:, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong on 10 227:Government Flying Service rescue accident 268: 242: 161:Country Park Visitor Centre to Hok Tau, 134:, but the vegetation has since regrown. 264: 557: 430:Public art and memorials in Hong Kong 402: 142:On 10 February, 1996, 49 students of 156:Agriculture and Fisheries Department 137: 194: 172:It was an extremely dry day with a 13: 14: 611: 273:The Spring Breeze Pavilion (2019) 154:). The plan was to hike from the 152:Hong Kong Award for Young People 43: 459:Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet 297:Another criticism was that the 338: 312: 148:Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme 1: 305: 7: 58:February 10, 1996 10: 616: 102:1996 Pat Sin Leng wildfire 38:1996 Pat Sin Leng wildfire 513: 487: 436: 209:Government Flying Service 93: 88: 83: 69: 54: 42: 324:South China Morning Post 213:Prince of Wales Hospital 165:via Section 9 and 10 of 223:for advance treatment. 182:Red Fire Danger Warning 20: 600:1996 disasters in Asia 585:1996 natural disasters 543:Lady Liberty Hong Kong 505:Spring Breeze Pavilion 274: 201:Hong Kong Fire Service 32:considered for merging 16:Hong Kong fire in 1996 449:Hong Kong Film Awards 272: 243:Casualties and damage 178:Hong Kong Observatory 536:Three Heads Six Arms 522:The Flying Frenchman 500:Chinese War Memorial 385:22.4835°N 114.2165°E 299:Hong Kong Government 288:emergency department 265:Post-disaster review 176:of 31 per cent. The 125:Hong Kong Government 565:1990s fires in Asia 381: /  221:intensive care unit 39: 595:Wildfires in China 580:Fires in Hong Kong 326:. 15 February 2019 275: 37: 575:1996 in Hong Kong 552: 551: 390:22.4835; 114.2165 205:Civil Aid Service 174:relative humidity 169:on Pat Sin Leng. 138:Background events 98: 97: 607: 423: 416: 409: 400: 399: 396: 395: 393: 392: 391: 386: 382: 379: 378: 377: 374: 361: 360: 358: 356: 342: 336: 335: 333: 331: 316: 195:Rescue operation 111: 65: 63: 47: 40: 36: 615: 614: 610: 609: 608: 606: 605: 604: 590:1990s wildfires 555: 554: 553: 548: 529:Pillar of Shame 509: 483: 432: 427: 389: 387: 383: 380: 375: 372: 370: 368: 367: 365: 364: 354: 352: 350:www.afcd.gov.hk 344: 343: 339: 329: 327: 318: 317: 313: 308: 280:Coroner's Court 267: 257:Burnt area: 20 245: 229: 197: 140: 109: 74:New Territories 61: 59: 50: 35: 17: 12: 11: 5: 613: 603: 602: 597: 592: 587: 582: 577: 572: 567: 550: 549: 547: 546: 539: 532: 525: 517: 515: 511: 510: 508: 507: 502: 497: 491: 489: 485: 484: 482: 481: 479:Queen Victoria 476: 471: 466: 461: 456: 451: 446: 440: 438: 434: 433: 426: 425: 418: 411: 403: 363: 362: 346:"Pat Sin Leng" 337: 310: 309: 307: 304: 303: 302: 295: 284: 266: 263: 262: 261: 255: 252: 244: 241: 228: 225: 196: 193: 139: 136: 104:took place in 96: 95: 91: 90: 86: 85: 81: 80: 71: 67: 66: 56: 52: 51: 48: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 612: 601: 598: 596: 593: 591: 588: 586: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 571: 568: 566: 563: 562: 560: 545: 544: 540: 538: 537: 533: 531: 530: 526: 524: 523: 519: 518: 516: 512: 506: 503: 501: 498: 496: 493: 492: 490: 486: 480: 477: 475: 472: 470: 467: 465: 462: 460: 457: 455: 452: 450: 447: 445: 442: 441: 439: 435: 431: 424: 419: 417: 412: 410: 405: 404: 401: 397: 394: 351: 347: 341: 325: 321: 315: 311: 300: 296: 293: 289: 285: 281: 277: 276: 271: 260: 256: 253: 250: 249: 248: 240: 236: 234: 224: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 192: 190: 189:Hsien Ku Fung 185: 183: 180:had issued a 179: 175: 170: 168: 164: 160: 157: 153: 149: 145: 135: 133: 128: 126: 121: 119: 118:local history 115: 107: 103: 92: 87: 82: 79: 75: 72: 68: 57: 53: 46: 41: 33: 29: 28: 27:Infobox event 24: 19: 541: 534: 527: 520: 495:The Cenotaph 366: 353:. Retrieved 349: 340: 328:. Retrieved 323: 314: 246: 237: 230: 198: 186: 171: 167:Wilson Trail 141: 132:soil erosion 129: 122: 106:Pat Sin Leng 101: 99: 25: 18: 514:Other works 388: / 376:114°12′59″E 254:Injured: 13 233:winch sling 159:Plover Cove 21:‹ The 570:1996 fires 559:Categories 454:HSBC lions 373:22°29′01″N 306:References 94:13 injured 84:Casualties 62:1996-02-10 488:Memorials 474:Anita Mui 464:Bruce Lee 444:George VI 355:7 January 330:7 January 78:Hong Kong 30:is being 283:devices. 259:hectares 114:wildfire 70:Location 34:. › 23:template 437:Statues 217:Sha Tin 163:Fanling 60: ( 469:McDull 292:Tai Po 110:  89:5 dead 150:(now 357:2020 332:2020 278:The 123:The 100:The 55:Date 215:in 116:in 561:: 348:. 322:. 76:, 422:e 415:t 408:v 359:. 334:. 64:)

Index

template
Infobox event
considered for merging

New Territories
Hong Kong
Pat Sin Leng
wildfire
local history
Hong Kong Government
soil erosion
HKCWC Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
Hong Kong Award for Young People
Agriculture and Fisheries Department
Plover Cove
Fanling
Wilson Trail
relative humidity
Hong Kong Observatory
Red Fire Danger Warning
Hsien Ku Fung
Hong Kong Fire Service
Civil Aid Service
Government Flying Service
Prince of Wales Hospital
Sha Tin
intensive care unit
winch sling
hectares

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