Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong has expressed his sadness over the death of Senior Field Officer Heung Shu-pui while performing his duties on Lantau early this morning.

"On behalf of the Civil Service, I offer my deepest condolences to his family," Mr Wong said.

The Civil Service Bureau has contacted the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department and will make every effort to help Mr Heung's family.

The 51-year-old officer visited Sunny Bay with two colleagues this morning to look for suitable tree-planting sites. He slipped on a slope and hit the ground more than 30 meters below.

He was certified dead on arrival at Princess Margaret Hospital at 11.47am.

Police classified the case as an industrial accident.

Safety guidelines under review

Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Lau Sin-pang said the death was a pure accident, stressing the officers on duty had taken safety measures and had worked in company.

He added the department will review its internal safety guidelines for staff working outdoors.

Mr Heung worked for the department for more than 23 years. He joined the department in July 1982 as Field Officer II and was promoted in August 2002.