XN000022-1984-01-21 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 19

FIRE TRAGEDY MARS HO'S LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAY

****

UNLIKE MOST FAMILIES PREPARING FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR OF THE RAT, THE HO FAMILY OF YAU TONG FACE A BLEAK HOLIDAY.

·

-

FOR THE FAMILY OF FATHER A CONSTRUCTION WORKER EARNING $2 000 A MONTH MOTHER AND TWO-MONTH OLD SON LOST EVERYTHING WHEN A SQUATTER FIRE IN LING NAM SAN CHUEN SPREAD TO THEIR HUT AND DESTROYED IT TOO.

THE EARLY MORNING DECEMBER 8 FIRE HAD SPREAD RAPIDLY

THROUGH ELECTRICAL WIRES.

THE HO'S HAD BOUGHT THE HUT FOR $8 000 WHEN THEY MARRIED TWO YEARS AGO AND SPENT $10 000 ON EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING IT.

THE FAMILY ARE NOW STAYING WITH MRS HO'S MOTHER WHILE AWAITING REHOUSING.

LAST YEAR THERE WERE 169 SQUATTER FIRES, MAKING 3 339 PEOPLE HOMELESS.

IN KOWLOON EAST, A SQUATTER BLACK SPOT, SUCH FIRES MADE UP 80 PER CENT OF THE DISTRICT'S FIRE TOLL LAST YEAR.

MR CHAN HOI, DIVISIONAL COMMANDER (KOWLOON EAST) OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, DESCRIBED THE PROBLEMS FACED IN FIGHTING SQUATTER FIRES.

MOST OF THE FLIMSY STRUCTURES ARE BUILT ON HILL SLOPES AND MUCH TIME AND EFFORT HAS TO BE SPENT LAYING HOSES TO THE SCENE OF FIRE, AND THE FREQUENT EXPLOSIONS OF LP GAS CYLINDERS POSE ADDITIONAL THREAT TO FIREMEN, HE SAID.

FIRE SERVICES REGULARLY VISIT SQUATTER AREAS, SPREADING THE FIRE SAFETY MESSAGE TO RESIDENTS, MR CHAN STRESSED.

MRS HO SAID THAT ALTHOUGH A FIRE WATCH TEAM HAD BEEN FORMED IN HER VILLAGE WITH THE HELP OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT OFFICE, THE SCHEME RECEIVED ONLY LUKEWARM SUPPORT FROM THE VILLAGERS.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE JUST DON'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ADVICE. THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT FIRES ARE INEVITABLE IN SQUATTER AREAS, SHE SAID.

HOWEVER, IN SOME OTHER SQUATTER VILLAGES, FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES ARE WELL ORGANISED.

MR CHAN SAID FOR EXAMPLE THAT THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT BOARD, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FSD, HAS ORGANISED AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME ON FIRE SAFETY FOR RESIDENTS.

+ IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF OTHER DISTRICTS COULD DO THE SAME, HE SAID.

THE SQUATTER