Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leung Hio Ming said yesterday that a dilapidated shipyard in Coloane’s Lai Chi Vun Village was completely destroyed when Typhoon Hato hit Macau last week.
Leung made the remarks during a special press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures for the Hato aftermath. Lam, several other officials and Macao Water and power utility CEM representatives attended the press conference at the Government Information Bureau (GCS) in Nam Van.
The super-typhoon killed 10 and injured 244 in Macau last Wednesday.
The bureau announced in late March that it had decided to initiate a cultural heritage evaluation for the village and its traditional shipyards.
The Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) announced in late January that 11 dilapidated shipyards in the village were earmarked for demolition starting in March. The bureau demolished two badly dilapidated shipyards on March 8.
Including the two shipyards already demolished by the Marine and Water Bureau, there were 18 shipyards in the village.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau, in collaboration with the Marine and Water Bureau and the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT), had carried out work to reinforce the dilapidated shipyards in the village before the start of the typhoon season.
Speaking during yesterday’s press conference, Leung said that all the shipyards in the village were damaged to different extents during the Hato onslaught. He said that the shipyard that is near the property of the Macau Customs Service was completely wrecked by the typhoon.
Leung reassured the public that the structures in the other shipyards remained basically intact even though they were damaged to different extents. He said the government had started to carry out work to repair and reinforce the shipyards after the Hato devastation. He did not say what will be done to the ruined shipyard.
Leung said that it was fortunate that only one shipyard was completely wrecked.
Leung said that he cared about the shipyards in the village. He said he went to the village at 9 a.m. last Thursday – the day after Hato devastated Macau – to check the condition of the shipyards.
Leung said that he also went to the village at 2 p.m. on Sunday after the weather station had lowered the typhoon signal to No. 3 at 1 p.m. The No. 8 signal was hoisted from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday when Typhoon Pakhar descended on Macau.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leung Hio Ming addresses yesterday’s press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures for the Typhoon Hato aftermath, at the Government Information Bureau (GCS) in Nam Van. Photo: Tony Wong
