1972 Hong Kong rainstorm disasters

A series of major landslides occurred in Hong Kong in June 1972. Several apartment complexes and houses were wiped out, and at least 148 people lost their lives. The landslides had been caused by waterlogged soils in the area, a result of Typhoon Rose bringing unusually heavy rainfall in August 1971 as well as heavy rainstorms hitting Hong Kong on the days preceding the landslides.

Po Shan Road in the Mid-Levels was the site of the largest major landslide to occur in June 1972. The area in general had long been susceptible to landslips and rockfall since it was developed; several other major landslides had occurred at or near Po Shan Road before 1972. These included a large landslip in 1925, which caused many deaths, as well as large but relatively undamaging landslides in 1941, 1950 and 1966. Most of these had been caused by heavy rainstorms, in a similar manner to the 1972 landslides. Shiu Fai Terrace, another site of landslips, had been leased in 1920 and the number and height of buildings that could be built on it had been restricted, probably decreasing the death toll of the 1972 disasters.

On 18 June, to cope with the disasters, all British Forces in the colony were mobilised, all police and fire services leave was cancelled, and the Civil Aid Service and Auxiliary Medical Services were called to assist in rescue operations.

Multiple landslides also occurred at Shiu Fai Terrace in Wan Chai. In total, three large landslips occurred over a continuous area on June 16. They were not as large as the Po Shan Road disaster but altogether affected a greater area. Several were killed by the landslips.

Throughout June 1972, multiple incidents of landslides occurred throughout Hong Kong, especially in Wan Chai. In total, combined with the Po Shan and Shiu Fai landslides, the landslips killed around 148 people. While they severely crippled infrastructure and emergency services through Hong Kong, the landslides of 1972 have led to improved guidelines for hillside excavation and safety and rescue procedures, and no such disaster has caused such a large loss of life in Hong Kong since.

At midday on 18 June, a landslide buried a squatter village at the Sau Mau Ping licensed area, killing 71. The mud spilled over Tsui Ping Road into the Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate. Resettlement Department staff and fathers of the adjacent Kwun Tong Maryknoll College launched the rescue operation. They were joined by 600 personnel from the army, police, fire services, Civil Aid Service, and Auxiliary Medical Service. Many of those killed were children. Survivors were billeted at the Kun Tong Police Station and the Sau Mau Ping Resettlement Estate.

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