XN000022-1974-10-21 — Page 5

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KOHDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1974.

AFFECT ON. ESTATES

TYPHOON CARMEN VIRTUALLY DID NO DAMAGE TO HONG KONG'S 52 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE 27 LICENSED AREAS.

DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE TYPHOON, RESIDENTS OF CHAI WAN LICENSED AREA 3 HAD TO LEAVE THEIR HUTS TEMPORARILY BECAUSE OF EXCEPTIONAL HIGH TIDE. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WERE AT THE SCENE EARLY FIRDAY MORNING TO GIVE WARNING TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO ASSIST THEM TO MOVE OUT LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.

TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY OF THE RESIDENTS TOOK SHELTER AT THE CHAI WAN POLICE POST AT BLOCK 12 AND AT THE TEMPORARY TYPHOON SHELTER AT BLOCK 13. OTHERS HAD CHOSEN TO STAY WITH THEIR RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. MOST OF THEM RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES AFTER THE STORM SIGNAL NO. 8 WAS LOWERED LAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

FIVE HUTS IN THE AREA, SOME UNOCCUPIED, WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN SER JOUSLY DAMAGED AND 12 SLIGHTLY AFFECTED. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ARE MAKING A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE DEGREE OF DAMAGE AT THE SITE THIS CMONDAY> MORNING.

TWO SQUATTER HUTS AT SAM KAR CHUEN WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE STRONG WINDS. BUT THE DAMAGE WAS LATER FOUND TO BE NEGLIGIBLE.

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM, ABOUT 100 RESIDENTS OF THE LICENSED AREA TOOK SHELTER AT THE KWUN TONG COMMUNITY CENTRE. THEY HAVE SINCE RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES.

ALSO SLIGHTLY AFFECTED BY THE STORM WAS THE YAN OI LICENSED AREA. FOUR HUTS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY DAMAGED.

STAFF OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ARE MEANWHILE MAKING A CHECK ON ALL LICENSED AREAS TO SEE WHAT OTHER DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE. GRANTS FROM THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND WILL BE TAKEN OUT TO HELP THE LICENSEES REBUILD OR REPAIR THEIR HUTS IF THE NEED ARISES.

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ROADS

ONLY TWO ROADS SHEK PAI WAN ROAD ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE UNNAMED ROAD BETWEEN LUK KENG AND TAI MEI TUK IN TAI PO -- REMAINED CLOSED AS A RESULT OF A ROAD SUBSIDENCE AND A LANDSLIDE DURING TYPHOON CARMEN. REPAIR WORK IS CONTINUING.

NEAR SHA TIN, THE LION ROCK TUNNEL APPROACH ROAD WHICH WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY A LANDSLIDE, IS OPEN TO SINGLE-LANE TRAFFIC ONLY. P.W.D. WORKERS ARE CLEARING THE ROAD OF ROCKS AND EARTH AND IT IS HOPED THAT IT CAN BE OPENED TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC LATER TODAY →

ALL OTHER ROADS ARE OPEN TO NORMAL TRAFFIC.

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