John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), has activated a mobilization protocol for civil servants to conduct relief work at full steam following extensive flooding caused by torrential rain, a spokesman for the HKSAR government said on Saturday.

Following the end of "extreme conditions," the HKSAR government promptly mobilized a quick response unit comprising about 250 civil servants from different departments to provide support in the North District of Hong Kong.

Supporting members arrived at Ma Mei Ha in Fanling, Lo Wu Station Road and Lee Uk Village in Ta Kwu Ling separately to carry out clean-up work. They also provided assistance to residents staying at a temporary shelter in Luen Wo Hui, Fanling.

Lee on Saturday inspected Ma Mei Ha Tsuen to learn about the progress of relief work after the torrential rain. He then visited people who were staying at the temporary shelter in the Luen Wo Hui Community Hall to learn more about their needs.

Lee thanked all supporting members and colleagues from relevant departments for their wholehearted efforts in relief work. He said that the torrential rain has caused flooding in extensive parts of the city and landslides, and various districts face extreme conditions. 

Lee has instructed all departments to make all-out efforts to assist members of the public in need. He stressed that the HKSAR government will continue to strive to handle relief work with every effort possible to ensure that people's daily lives can return to normal as early as possible.

The Hong Kong Observatory issued a black rainstorm warning signal on Thursday evening, which was downgraded to a yellow rainstorm warning signal on Friday afternoon. The black signal had been in effect for over 16 hours, making it the longest recorded duration in Hong Kong.

During the rainstorm, severe flooding and landslides occurred in various areas of Hong Kong. In Shek O, the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island, landslides and collapses of roads caused by rainstorms disrupted land transport and communications networks, and led to shortages of supplies in the area. The HKSAR government used boats to evacuate about 200 local residents and arranged for them to move into temporary shelter centers.

The rain weakened significantly on Saturday, with public transport basically reopened and many people resuming normal life.

As of 8:15 a.m. local time on Saturday, 153 people were injured in the rainstorms and sent to the hospital.

(Cover: Firefighters prepare to drain floodwater in south China's Hong Kong, September 8, 2023. /Xinhua)