Hong Kong security chief to review why thousands left stranded at train station, stuck at mainland Chinese border after New Year’s Eve fireworks
- Tourists at Lok Ma Chau border crossing faced delays and others were stuck overnight at Sheung Shui MTR station amid high turnout for New Year’s Eve celebrations
- Transport Department expresses concerns over long waiting times at border as security chief says government will review how to improve crowd handling
Hong Kong’s security chief on Monday vowed to review why thousands of mainland Chinese visitors were left stranded at a train station or delayed at the border as they returned home from New Year’s Eve celebrations that drew 223,000 tourists to the city.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said officials would look into how the relevant government departments could ensure a smoother handling of crowds at control points to prevent long waiting times.
“Other than the existing control points operating 24 hours a day, we are discussing with mainland authorities about extending the arrangement to other checkpoints,” he said.
The Tourism Board in the morning said the number of single-day arrivals that had flocked to Hong Kong as of 10pm on Sunday was the highest figure for 2023, attributing the influx to what it called the “biggest-ever” New Year’s Eve fireworks.
The “New Year, New Legend” fireworks display, which kicked off at midnight and lasted about 12 minutes, drew 479,000 revellers to both sides of Victoria Harbour, the board said.
According to the Immigration Department, 195,888 visitors from the mainland came to the city on Sunday, accounting for 87 per cent of total tourist arrivals.
Despite MTR train services operating throughout the night, services to the border stations of Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoints are unavailable overnight, resulting in crowds of people gathering at the Sheung Shui stop to wait for the first cross-border train on Monday morning.