The government will look into whether taking children to seaside areas to watch waves during a typhoon could constitute neglect, according to Secretary for Security Chris Tang.

He was speaking after a mother and her son fell into the sea while watching waves in Chai Wan on Tuesday when Super Typhoon Ragasa was approaching the region and the father jumped in to try and save them.

The father is now stable in hospital while the conditions of the mother and their five-year-old son have improved from critical to serious.

Tang told RTHK on Thursday that the incident was very unfortunate.

"We do not as yet have an offence for chasing wind [or deliberately exposing children to extremely windy conditions] and watching waves," he said.

"But if you are heading to a place – for example, a beach that the government says is closed – and you still enter, there will be a penalty.

"Whether or not parents taking their children to places known to be dangerous amounts to child neglect, I think we have to look into that."

Tang said the government hoped residents will be self-disciplined and isn't aiming to arrest them in such cases.

A day after Ragasa triggered Hong Kong's second Hurricane Signal No 10 of the year, Tang said the city has made a quick return to normalcy.

He emphasised that work to clear blocked roads and walkways began as soon as possible or when feasible, rather than after the typhoon signals were lowered, to allow people to return to work and school.