Hong Kong-funded schools survive Sichuan earthquake
Safety of buildings funded by HK government shows better construction saves lives, but city lawmakers say money can be misappropriated
Hong Kong-funded buildings at two schools in Sichuan hit by Saturday's magnitude-7 earthquake are among the few structures that did not sustain major damage. Many local homes were either seriously damaged or collapsed.
Both schools - Lushan Middle School in downtown Lushan and Longxing Central School in Longmen township - were at the epicentre of the quake, which claimed at least 196 lives.
The schools were opened in 2010 and 2011, with support from the Hong Kong government of 31.37 million yuan (HK$39 million) and 8.64 million yuan, respectively.
The Hong Kong -funded school buildings in Lushan county, Yaan, were not badly built and would be safe after maintenance, mainland housing authorities said after an initial investigation on Wednesday.
Dr Greg Wong Chak-yan, former president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, said: "Judging from the photos shown to me by the media, the roof, the slabs and the walls have not collapsed. The Lushan school survived the quake."
The quality of Hong Kong-funded reconstruction projects five years after a much stronger quake hit the region is at the centre of a growing public debate in Hong Kong. As a result, a proposal by the Hong Kong government to donate HK$100 million to the provincial government for relief and reconstruction was put on hold after a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting ended without a vote.