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Inquiry team reports on hillfire

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An emergency medical taskforce should be deployed in multiple-casualty incidents, the Pat Sin Leng inquiry team has said.

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But the team would not comment yesterday on why only two paramedics and two ambulances from the 100-strong Auxiliary Medical Services' force were mobilised when the extent of the hill fire was realised.

Two teachers and three pupils died in the blaze, which engulfed school trekkers as they made their way up a steep nature trail on February 10.

Principal Assistant Secretary for Security Andrew Kluth said discussion about the deployment of the volunteer taskforce would prejudice inquests into the causes of the five deaths.

For the same reason, there was no comment on the investigation into the cause of the fire.

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The inquiry team said the decision to take all the casualties to Tai Po accident and emergency clinic, instead of taking some direct to the Prince of Wales Hospital, in Sha Tin, was correct.

They said ambulancemen were not qualified to make on-the-spot assessments.

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