XN000022-1980-10-03 — Page 9

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1980

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COMMENDATIONS FOR BRAVE FIREMEN

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A FIREMAN HAS BEEN AWARDED THE QUEEN'S COMMENDATION FOR BRAVERY IN RESCUING A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAPPED IN A HOUSING ESTATE FLAT IN A FIRE.

THE FIREMAN, TSUI PUI-LING, 23, WAS INFORMED OF THE AWARD IN A LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE.

THE LETTER WAS PRESENTED TO HIM BY THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR FREDERICK WATSON TODAY,

ANOTHER FIREMAN, YU CHUN-ON, 24, WHO TOOK PART IN THE RESCUE, WAS PRESENTED THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES COMMENDATION.

THE RESCUE TOOK PLACE ON OCTOBER 7 LAST YEAR WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A FLAT ON THE 15TH FLOOR OF BLOCK 32, SAU MAU PING ESTATE,

AT THE START OF THE FIRE, A WOMAN REPORTED TO THE TWO FIREMEN ON THEIR ARRIVAL THAT HER FAMILY WAS TRAPPED IN A ROOM OPPOSITE ON THE FLOOR AND ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, THEY WENT TO RESCUE THE TRAPPED PEOPLE.

AS ENTRY WAS IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH THE CORRIDOR LEADING TO THE

EXPLOSION OF A GAS CYLINDER IN ANOTHER FLAT, THE TWO PROCEEDED TO THE ROOF WHICH WAS ABOUT 46 METRES ABOVE THE GROUND.

SHAN ANLAMES AND SMOKE WHICH HAD INTENSIFIED FOLLOWING AN

USING A FIRE HOSE, FIREMAN TSUI WAS LOWERED TO THE SMOKE-LOGGED FLAT BELOW BY FIREMAN YU. A POLICE CONSTABLE ALSO GAVE ASSISTANCE.

ON REACHING THE FLAT TSUI, WHO FOUND SEVEN PEOPLE IN A STATE OF PANIC, DISCOVERED THAT ESCAPING FROM THE FRONT DOOR WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

WITH CONDITIONS RAPIDLY WORSENING HE DECIDED TO EVACUATE THE SEVEN PEOPLE BY PASSING THEM UP TO HIS COLLEAGUE AND OTHERS ON THE ROOF.

THE DIRECTOR MR WATSON SAID: +UNDER THESE MOST FRIGHTENING CONDITIONS AND WITH NO SECURE MEANS OF ASSURING HIS OWN ESCAPE HE CALMLY AND EFFICIENTLY HELD AND PASSED EACH OF THE OCCUPANTS TO THE OUTSTRETCHED ARMS OF HIS COLLEAGUES ABOVE ON THE ROOF.+

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