The board printed one million copies of color posters to be given away, including distribution in some mainland newspapers, to promote the 10th anniversary of the handover.

The promotional material showcased some of the territory's most highly regarded travel destinations, with the Ngong Ping 360 attraction listed among the top three items, along with its cable car routes.

"After it has been shut down, there is no reason to continue promoting it," tourism board chief Michael Tien Pak- sun said Thursday. "The posters printed by the board cost HK$1 million. We will be considering claiming the amount from [Skyrail-ITM)]"

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Asked for reaction, a spokesman for the Australia-based operator Thursday stressed Skyrail-ITM would rather concentrate its efforts on the investigations.

"But if there is any special request from the Tourism Board, we are willing to discuss and follow up the matter," he said.

Two experts of Italy-based manufacturer Leitner Ropeways, which began probing the Ngong Ping 360 cable car system, declined to comment on their investigation.

For nearly an hour, the two men with safety gear climbed up a tower and examined facilities. The examination was focused on the 10 gear wheels that were damaged during the fall of a gondola Monday night.

More than 100 cabins were still hanging along the ropeway amid strong wind and rain as "certain procedures after consulting the government" had prevented the operator from parking the cabins, a Skyrail-ITM spokesman said.

Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip Shu-kwan refused to comment Thursday before the release of the investigation report.

"The government is still studying the incident hoping to identify the truth and causes, and improvement measures," Ip said.

A spokeswoman from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department would not say if an international expert set to launch an independent investigation has been identified.

"It is being arranged and there will be more details in [today's] Legislative Council's special meeting," she said.

The incident - in which no one was hurt - has led to an immediate shut down of the tourist attraction, and demands for the resignation of senior Skyrail-ITM management.

A special meeting in Legco will be held today to discuss the incident.

Ken Chapman, chairman of Skyrail- ITM, along with the two experts sent from Leitner, had arrived in Hong Kong Wednesday to assist with the investigations.

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, MTR Corp and Skyrail are launching their own probes.