Pat Heung hillfire under control

The hillfire raging in Pat Heung, Yuen Long for almost two days was brought under control Wednesday morning.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the fire has spread to Lam Tsuen Country Park but is yet to estimate the damage.

The hillfire near Fan Kam Road, classified as second grade, started on Monday afternoon. The fire department attributed the delay in putting out the fire to low humidity and strong wind.

Exec shamed for airport rage

A senior manager of Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) was put on a three-year good behavior bond Wednesday for attacking an airline staff member who stopped him from boarding a flight four minutes before take-off.

Tusen Wan Magistracy heard that Brian Chin Tsang-kung, together with his wife and two sons, were heading for a vacation in Malaysia in August but missed the 20-minutes-before-departure deadline to board the Cathay Pacific flight. When he was told by Cathay staff members at the departure gate that they could not get on the plane, he thumped the desk and hit one of the staff members.

Principal Magistrate Ernest Lin said Chin, as a well-educated man, should be ashamed of himself. Chin was also ordered to pay HK$500 compensation to the attacked Cathay employee.

Dora Lai Yuk-sim, chairwoman of Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants' Union, found the punishment fitting and said Chin's action was condemnable.

Village woman burned in fire

An elderly woman was injured when a blaze erupted at a wooden shed in Lai Yue Mun village in Kwun Tong Wednesday morning.

It's believed that the woman, who lives alone, accidentally started the fire when using firewood to cook around 9 am. Initial investigation found no suspicious circumstances.

She was taken to hospital for treatment of burn injuries to her face and hand.

Attempt to rob cabbie botched

A man was arrested over an alleged attempt to rob a taxi driver early Wednesday morning.

The man hailed the taxi at Aberdeen in Hong Kong Island around 4 am and asked to be driven to Siu Lam in Tuen Mun. When the taxi reached Kwai Chung, the man allegedly pulled out a knife and ordered the taxi driver to get out. The driver resisted and alerted police who caught the man.

Both the driver and suspect were taken to hospital for minor injuries. Police found a knife that was believed be to left by the suspect.

Senior dies in traffic accident

An 84-year-old man died in a fatal traffic accident in Castle Peak Wednesday afternoon. A medium goods vehicle (MGV) driven by a 39-year-old man was travelling along Sam Shing Street towards Castle Peak Road around 4 pm. When approaching the junction with Castle Peak Road (Castle Peak Bay section), it reportedly hit the 84-year-old man who was crossing the road.

The man sustained severe head injury and was rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital where he was certified dead at 5:28 pm.

The MGV driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and was released on bail pending further investigation.

China Daily

(HK Edition 12/30/2010 page1)