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Sun, 07/24/2016 - 21:25

On Sunday 18th June 1972, a huge landslide occurred in the vicinity of our block of flats, Piccadilly Mansions, in Po Shan Road. The photo shows the End of Conduit Road with a closed sign and at the back of the photo you can see the top of the slide. We were out at the time, having lunch on the Peak and didn't return home until the late evening. As you will see in the simulation, it was impossible to get home and I had to go down to Central and sleep on the sofa in the Bank Mess. Next day, at lunchtime, I drove to HK University in Pokfulam and then walked up the path to Kotewall Road to see a scene of utter devastation and a very bad smell. Then had to walk further up the road (Po Shan Rd) to our block of flats and walk up 13 floors to our flat as the electric was cut off!! I found 2 suitcases which I filled with clothes and then walked down 13 floors and down the hill to the car. I had to do that one more time. My employer, Standard Chartered Bank, had booked us into the Lee Gardens Hotel in Causeway Bay where we stayed for a month until the landslide on Conduit Road, by Skyline Mansions, was cleared. I had nightmares about it for months more. It was very frightening but until I saw this video, I hadn't fully appreciated how much damage was really done, how many people were killed and how it developed. I do remember it raining for days before. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvcs80Ty7WE

Date picture taken
18 Jun 1972