Society

HK to mourn hostage victims on Thursday

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-25 20:37

HONG KONG - Hong Kong will hold a city-wide memorial service Thursday to mourn eight victims of the hostage-taking tragedy in Manila, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang will lead a mourning ceremony to be held at the city's landmark Golden Bauhinia Square.

Related readings:  Chinese tourists tense after hostage tragedy  Chinese embassy says hostage death toll at 8  Police chief handling Manila hostage offers leave of absence  HK govt to spare no effort in assisting hostage families

A government spokesperson said the mourning ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square will start at 8 am local time when the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be hoisted and then lowered and flown at half-mast.

Tsang will lead principal officials of the city's government to observe a 3-minute silence.

The spokesperson called on Hong Kong's 7 million residents across the city to participate in the ceremony or mourn the dead at the same time in other ways.

According to the spokesperson, during the mourning ceremony all governmental services except for the emergency and entry-exit services will be suspended, and public servants will join in the mourning at their working venues.

The hostage crisis in the Philippine capital Manila, involving a 21-member Hong Kong tour group, ended on Monday night with eight hostages killed and several others injured, one of whom in critical conditions.

A government-organized chartered plane, which carried tourist group members, victims' relatives and the remains of the eight Hong Kong tourists, was expected to arrive in Hong Kong on Wednesday evening.

Sorrowful Hong Kong has been mourning the eight victims since Monday. All the city's government offices started lowering flags at half-mast to mourn the victims on Tuesday, and the city government said the HKSAR flags at all government offices will continue to be flown at half-mast on Wednesday and Thursday.