On the morning of June 7, 2008, a serious landslide occurred on the government slope behind the Chow Yei Ching (CYC) Building, immediately adjacent to the Centennial Campus site. The landslide caused damage to the teaching and research facilities at the CYC Building and HKU has taken prompt action in carrying out slope-stabilization works to protect public safety. 

This incident was one of the 162 recorded landslides throughout Hong Kong on that day, when the Black Storm Warning was issued for more than 4 hours. 

Mr. KL Tam, Senior Assistant Director of Estates said, “ This is the most serious landslide I have ever witnessed. It was 60m wide and 110m high, and the total volume of removed soil was more than 2000 cubic metres. Three floors of the CYC building were flooded with mud and needed to be closed for more than 2 months. Fortunately, there were no casualties.” 

“In order to ensure public safety,” he added, “we have asked Gammon Construction, the contractor of the Reservoir Re-provisioning Works, to carry out temporary stabilization works on the slope, including shot-creting, debris clearance and the construction of a rockfill bund. The works were completed within 11 weeks and affected floors of Chow Yei Ching Building were reopened before the start of the new academic year on September 1, 2008.” 

In response to the queries from some members of the public on whether the landslide was caused by the Reservoir Re-provisioning Works, Mr Tam said, "The tunnel entrance of the Works is 180m away and 100m below the top of the natural terrain where the landslide occured. It it clear that the landslide was not caused by our works."

The Reservoir Re-provisioning Works remain on schedule and have not been affected by the landslide.