WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979
14
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED OVER TAK TAI INDUSTRIAL BUILDING
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CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED OVER THE TAK TAI INDUSTRIAL BUILDING DECLARED LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS EARLY THIS MONTH, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD TOLD THE LÉGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
BUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE IMPROPER FOR HIM TO COMMENT IN GREATER DETAIL BECAUSE OF THIS AND OTHER POSSIBLE LEGAL ACTION.
LOBO.
MR. MCDONALD WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON, ROGER
THE DIRECTOR RECALLED EVENTS LEADING TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE DANGEROUS BUILDING IN KWAI CHUNG.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT AFTER THE CLOSURE AND SUBSEQUENT DEMOLITION OF THE CHINA ENGINEERS INDUSTRIAL BUILDING IN 1977 THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE MADE VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF ALL BUILDINGS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SAME AUTHORISED PERSON OR CONSTRUCTED BY THE SAME REGISTERED CONTRACTOR.
THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE ROUTINE INSPECTIONS OF BUILDINGS ON WHICH REPORTS OF DEFECTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY B.0.0., HE SAID.
+OF THE MORE THAN 80 BUILDINGS EXAMINED IN THIS EXERCISE MOST WERE FOUND TO BE STRUCTURALLY SOUND BUT MORE INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS WERE ORDERED FOR SIX BUILDINGS. WHICH SHOWED SIGNS OF STRESS, MR. MCDONALD SAID.
THE TAK TAI INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, COMPLETED IN 1970, WAS ONE OF THE SIX,
IN THIS STRUCTURE SOME SHEAR CRACKING OF BEAMS WAS FOUND AND A NOTICE WAS SERVED ON THE OWNER TO INITIATE A DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF THE BUILDING.
THIS INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE STRUCTURE TO BE SERIOUSLY SUB-STANDARD AND A NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CLOSE THE BUILDING WAS ISSUED.
+OF THE REMAINING FIVE BUILDINGS ON WHICH DETAILED CHECKS WERE ORDERED, TWO ARE STILL UNDER EXAMINATION AND THREE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE NOTICES OF INTENTION TO CLOSE ISSUED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, MR. MCDONALD SAID.
+CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED IN RELATION TO THE TAK TAI INDUSTRIAL BUILDING. THAT. AND THE POSSIBILITY OF OTHER LEGAL ACTION MAKES IT IMPROPER FOR ME TO COMMENT IN GREATER DETAIL. +
/ON PREVENTING