of one of the buildings had run into the yard) was buried together with the Fireman under a 'mountain' of debris, caused by the collapsed face of one of the buildings into an 8 ft. passageway. Collapse was so total that the overseas Officer when rescued had to be evacuated from the site through a range of buildings at 4th floor level and lowered by stret- cher to the street below. In the meantime, desperate and providentially successful efforts were made to extricate the Fireman who oddly enough received the lesser injuries.
77. The bodies of two members of the public, a 62 year old man and a 9 year old boy who had been trapped in the early stages of this fire were recovered from the debris some days later. Whilst the financial loss was estimated at a little over $150,000 the overall loss proved to be much greater as the Buildings Ordinance Office were forced to condemn for further occupation three complete blocks of tenements. Operations were described by a Fire Commissioner from the United States, who was present at the scene, as 'a classic example of efficiency and coopera- tion between the Police and Fire Services which my countrymen could usefully study'.
5TH ALARM-MAINLAND
78. A little after 8 p.m. on the 29th November 1964 a fire broke out on the first floor of a 6-storey R.C.C. factory building in Yee Kuk Street, Kowloon, used for the production of textiles and plastics. Fire damage was restricted to the floor of origin, but water damage to the goods on the lower floors was extensive. Investigations at this fire revealed a number of serious violations of the law, including un- authorized alterations which materially contributed to the spread of fire and subsequent damage. Violations were of such a grave nature as to make necessary, in the interests of the factory workers, immediate remedial action. The Department therefore took temporary possession of this building, requiring all tenants to rectify violations before reoc- cupation. As this action caused a certain amount of alarm in the industry generally, the President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association was invited to visit the building and to explain to the occupiers (who were members of his Association) the serious nature of the violation generally and in particular the irrepairable damage to the modern image of Hong Kong industry which a heavy life loss (highly probable had the fire occurred two hours earlier) would have caused. The fact that all viola- tions were rectified within 72 hours (which included a weekend) shows on the one hand a gratifying sense of cooperation, but on the other hand the fact that violations were quite unnecessary in the first place.
14
Page 20Page 21