XN000022-1973-11-17 — Page 4

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Saturday, November 17, 1973

VICTIMS OF KOWLOON BAY FIRE GIVEN ASSISTANCE

The Housing Department is doing everything it can to help the

victims of the fire at Kowloon Bay Licensed Area on Thursday night.

A spokesman for the Department said it was the Department's policy

that no one genuinely homeless would be left unattended to.

All fire victims who lived legally in surveyed huts will be re-housed

in public housing estates as soon as their identity has been established.

Those living in unsurveyed illegal huts in the Licensed Area

will be allowed to rebuild their homes on a nearby site once the land has

been levelled.

Grants from the Community Relief Trust Fund administered by the

Social Welfare Department will be distributed to them possibly next week

to enable them to do this.

In the meantime, the Department has opened a number of estate

wolfare centres for the victims for temporary stay.

Nearly 200 of them are taking temporary shelter at the Caritas

Centre at Ngau Tau Kok and another 100 at the Welfare Centre at Sau Mau

Ping Estate. Others are staying with friends and relatives,

Meanwhile, investigation and identification of the victims is

continuing.

"We will be able to proceed with the distribution of the grant

and allocation of rehousing accommodation once the survey is completed," the

spokesman added.

In last Thursday's fire, more than 280 structures were destroyed

and nearly 400 families comprising about 1,400 people have been registered

with the department.

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