Assorted trash is seen strewn on the ground inside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Nov 18, 2019. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Police said that it would enter the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Thursday morning to remove dangerous materials left in campus by rioters who had barricaded themselves in there for more than a week. 

There have been mounting calls for the police to unseal the university after the 11-day siege as all occupiers reportedly have left. 

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In Thursday's operation, a special team accompanied by criminal investigation officers will be the first to enter the campus to remove dangerous materials, including gasoline bombs, corrosive liquids and other offensive weapons, that are believed to be stored in the premises. They will also gather evidence of criminal acts in damaging the university’s properties, said Ho Yun-sing, police commander of Yau Tsim district, at a press briefing on Wednesday.

In Thursday's operation, a special team accompanied by criminal investigation officers will be the first to enter the campus to remove dangerous materials, police said

It is the police’s duty to ensure the campus is safe before handing it over to the university management, said Ho, adding that it was also the police’s goal to reopen the campus as soon as possible.

Authorities of Hong Kong Polytechnic University have been urging the police to lift the siege in a bid to reopen the campus for clean-ups and repairs.

A 100-strong search team comprising faculty members, medics and social workers entered the campus in Hong Hum on Wednesday morning in search of stragglers. They found none.

In an earlier search on Tuesday, the team found one person left behind. 

READ MORE: HK's Cross-Harbour Tunnel reopens after two weeks

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the university said that in light of the extensive search over the past two days, there was no longer a need for the police to maintain the cordon of the area.

Miranda Lou Lai-wah, executive vice president of PolyU, said the university hoped to reclaim the campus as soon as possible, because a great number of damaged facilities, including classrooms and laboratories, need to be repaired so that those for the sake of interrupted research projects could resume. 

Also on Wednesday, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, close to PolyU campus, reopened at 5am after repairing the extensive damage to its facilities by rioters. 

Radicals set up barricades, hurled gasoline bombs at toll booths and set ablaze two footbridges that connect PolyU campus where they barricaded after a clash with the police on Nov 13.