Shenzhen-bound services at one of Hong Kong’s border control checkpoints have been suspended after the ground collapsed.
The Office of Port of Entry and Exit of Shenzhen said on Sunday night: “At 6pm on July 9, the ground sank in the Man Kam To Control Point posing safety risks. To ensure the safety of inbound cars, customs services for inbound passengers and trucks were stopped with the agreement of the relevant provincial authorities.”
The office said that vehicles and passengers may use other ports to enter Shenzhen, and that the resumption of services would be announced after urgent repairs had been completed.
Food imports not affected
According to a photo circulating online, the road and checkpoint kiosks at Man Kam To Control Point had sunk, and cracks could be seen in the ground.
Stanley Chiang, the chairperson of the Lok Ma Chau China-Hong Kong Freight Association, said on a Commercial Radio show on Monday that he had spoken with Shenzhen officials on Monday morning. He said they had told him that the northbound road subsided, causing damage to facilities like kiosks, adding that it may take months to repair.
Chaing said the roads going to Shenzhen were closed, but access from Shenzhen to Hong Kong was not affected. Therefore, the trucks that supply fresh food to the city were still able to enter Hong Kong.
Under current import arrangements, all fresh food from mainland China must enter Hong Kong through the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point. During the city’s fifth Covid-19 wave last year, vegetable prices soared after infections were detected among cross-border truck drivers.
Chiang added that less than 20 per cent of cross-border trucks were using Man Kam To port so the closure of the northbound passages had not had a large impact on cross-border freight transport.
The Transport Department said in the press release on Monday that the Man Kam To cross-border shuttle buses would enter Shenzhen through the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point instead, with the service frequency reduced from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
Correction 11.7.23: A previous version of this article misspelled Stanley Chiang’s last name. We regret the error.
