Residents praise smooth evacuation after wartime bomb found in Hong Kong

Residents forced to evacuate from their homes after a wartime bomb was found at a construction site in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay have said the government’s handling of the emergency was smooth, although some restaurants have complained about the loss in business.

At the Quarry Bay Community Hall, where dozens of people took shelter on Friday as police bomb disposal experts worked through the night, retiree Wong said that although the air conditioning was too strong for her, she was pleased with the care shown by the staff members.

“It’s very cold here,” she said. “All we can do is wait, but the government has done well in their arrangements as the resources available here have made things convenient.”

About 6,000 people from 18 residential and commercial buildings near the construction site on Pan Hoi Street, where the 1,000lb (454 kg) bomb was found on Friday, were ordered to evacuate. While some choose to book last-minute hotel rooms, others headed to 19 temporary shelters opened by the Home Affairs Department.

About 30 residents, mostly elderly people, took refuge at the Quarry Bay Community Hall until about 1.30pm on Saturday.