Hong Kong Observatory director Lam Chiu-ying said yesterday that the city's chances of being hit by a powerful earthquake or a big tsunami were very low.
Rejecting claims that Hong Kong's buildings could be devastated if a major earthquake struck, he assured the public there was no need to panic.
'When the intensity 7 quake in 1918 happened, some simple clay- brick houses suffered cracks, but the buildings today are obviously more sturdy then those in 1918. Plus, structures like the Tsing Ma Bridge have already taken into account the possibility of earthquakes,' he said.
A China Earthquake Administration assessment shows that Hong Kong is at risk of a quake on the modified Mercalli scale (MMS) of intensity 7 once every 475 years. On a scale of 1 to 12, intensity 7 means severe shaking strong enough to cause cracks and non-structural damage to buildings.
Mr Lam agreed the biggest earthquake Hong Kong could experience was one of MMS intensity 7.
'The ability of our buildings to resist typhoon winds means they can also resist shaking. True, winds blow from side to side while earthquakes go up and down but our buildings are very stable and strong,' he said.
