Officials Conduct First Government-wide Drill

Civil service secretary Ingrid Yeung said authorities launched a government-wide tsunami drill on Thursday, mobilising 10,000 staff from various government departments.

The drill, codenamed "Exercise Touchdown 1", was part of a plan outlined in the Chief Executive's policy blueprint to enhance the administration's ability to respond quickly to major incidents.

Yeung said 300 staff arrived at the North Point Community Hall within three hours of notice, in the face of a simulated tsunami in a nearby area.

"The difference between this drill and the normal drills conducted by the operations department is that this drill focuses on communication. If the communication is not successful, then we will not be able to mobilise the required staff," she said.

"When I was there, I saw that they [the staff] all arrived punctually, and they arrived in very good shape. They received the notification successfully. The drill has proven that the communication was effective."

Yeung added that officials will organise regular drills like this in the future, and that more details will be announced in the Legislative Council next month.

In a Facebook post, Chief Executive John Lee said the drill went smoothly, adding that it had minimal impact on public service.