The piece appeared initially on June 13, 1966.
36 people presumed deceased following storm disaster
It is believed that at least 36 individuals may have lost their lives due to intense flooding caused by one of the most severe storms ever recorded in Hong Kong's history. On June 12, 1966, authorities—continuing with recovery efforts—reported that 32 people remained unaccounted for, while 33 others sustained injuries. Over 600 residents became displaced as a result of the 78 landslides that took place.
Two reporters, Mr. John A. Stuart, aged 31, and Mr. Kevin William Murphy, 24, perished after being swept downhill while attempting to traverse a severely flood-affected part of Magazine Gap Road. Both were part of the editorial team at the S.C.M. Post.
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Rain began during Saturday night, and by Sunday morning had escalated into heavy rainfall, transforming streets into powerful streams that carried cars away as though they were playthings. Landslides, triggered by the continuous rain, collapsed into various parts of the island, resulting in multiple fatalities, damaging residences, and obstructing roadways.
Rainfall over the past 24 hours up until midnight reached 15.06 inches, increasing the cumulative amount from January 1 to 57.47 inches, compared to an average of 29.36 inches.
The Royal Observatory stated that 4.36 inches of precipitation was measured from 7 am to 8 am yesterday — the highest rainfall amount documented for any month since records started in 1884.
The highest amount of rain measured at the Observatory in one day was 21.02 inches, recorded on July 19, 1926.
The underground drainage systems became overwhelmed, causing massive jets of water to surge into the already submerged roads.
Rescue Work
Rescue crews labored through heavy rainfall yesterday to extract residents trapped in homes damaged by landslides and to move individuals out of regions where further slides were expected.
Rescue personnel faced challenges due to non-stop rainfall, waterlogged and dirty roads, and nearly total failure of phone services resulting from the storm.
A senior education officer along with his family of four was thought to be trapped beneath tonnes of soil and stones after a section of the garage at Victoria Heights, Stubbs Road, gave way.
Fifteen vehicles located in the garage and surrounding area were also covered by the wreckage.
As stated by a member of the rescue team, he thought the five corpses had been interred between Victoria Heights and the grounds of Mr. C. Y. Shum’s house, a former magistrate, located directly beneath.
The avalanche took place just after 11:15 AM, and an army rescue team was sent to the location.
The group scoured the area for over five hours without discovering any sign of the corpses. The operation was subsequently handed over to the Public Works Department until 11:15 pm, after which it was called off.
Gushing Waters
Party members from PWD positioned sandbags around Mr. Shum's garden to stop additional land movements.
A section of Stubbs Road had been damaged by the rushing water, and participants in the search team characterized the area as highly perilous. They mentioned that it was not feasible to carry out the search after dark. The operation will proceed today provided the weather conditions improve.
Last evening, a group of over 50 individuals, each carrying lights, traveled in four trucks as part of the rescue team.
The remains of a European child, thought to be those of 11-year-old Tommy Keenan, who had been swept away into a drain on Saturday afternoon, were found in the harbor close to Stonecutters Island late yesterday afternoon.
A witness reported that Mr. Stuart and Mr. Murphy seemed to be holding onto a rope connected to a broken-down Land Rover. According to the witness, one of the individuals lost his grip, while the other tried to reach out, resulting in both being carried off together.
It was reported that two individuals became victims of distinct mudslides during the late hours of yesterday.
The initial incident took place on the slope behind number 48 Tin Hau Temple Road around 11 p.m. The second one happened on Leighton Road fifteen minutes afterward.
Unreliable accounts from the New Territories, which started arriving around 2 a.m. today, indicated that five individuals lost their lives due to either submersion or structural failures of buildings.
Among the casualties are two young girls and a woman from the Taipo region.
Another two individuals lost their lives due to building failures in Peng Chau and Tai O.
A family made up of a father, mother, and two kids were buried after their shed gave way. One child managed to be saved. The remaining three individuals are still unaccounted for.
Accounts from different areas across Hong Kong Island at midnight suggested that there were no additional significant floods.
At the same time, law enforcement officers, employees of the Public Works Department, and other personnel remained at their posts during the night to remove obstacles from primary roadways.
Participating in the salvage and road clearance efforts were the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers; the 69th Gurkhas Independent Field Engineers Squadron; recovery trucks from 50 Command Workshops; a unit from the 49 Light Regiment, R.A.; and landing crafts belonging to 56 Squadron R.C.T.
Every school is closed today due to the hazardous condition of the streets.
Chinese and English school certificates as well as matriculation exams have been delayed. The London Degree and GCE examinations have also faced postponement, although an update regarding these will be provided later this afternoon.
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