NEW Territories villagers recovering from chest-high flooding yesterday found their homes at risk again after the Shenzhen reservoir released water without warning.
Hong Kong authorities began advising villagers in flood-prone areas of the release at 2.17 pm yesterday - 17 minutes after the water had been discharged.
Most of yesterday's 14 flooding incidents took place in the northeast New Territories, as Typhoon Willie's last bands of rain swept across Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Willie had weakened into a tropical storm by last night.
A government spokesman said authorities had responded immediately after Shenzhen authorities told them they had started discharging water at 2 pm.
'We could only confirm the discharging at 2.15 pm and the public was informed at 2.17 pm,' she said.
Chief information officer Patrick Wong Wing-kit said the department confirmed the news with the Security Branch before telling the public.
He said there have been several occasions when the Shenzhen authorities have released reservoir water without warning.