XN000022-1985-05-17 — Page 6

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1985

5

1

DANGER FROM LOCKED ROOF DOORS IN FIRES STRESSED

******

RESIDENTS WERE WARNED TODAY BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT NOT TO LOCK EXIT DOORS LEADING TO ROOFS OF BUILDINGS BECAUSE OF THE DANGER TO LIFE THIS COULD CAUSE IN CASE OF FIRES.

+

+PEOPLE MAY BE TRAPPED AND KILLED WHEN DOORS ARE LOCKED, A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

ALL DOORS, HE STRESSED, SHOULD BE EASILY OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WITHOUT THE USE OF KEYS.

HE DISAGREED WITH A REPORTED SUGGESTION BY A CORONER THAT IF ROOF DOORS WERE LOCKED, THE KEYS SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE AND SHOULD BE HUNG IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE, KNOWN TO ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDINGS.

THE SUGGESTION HAD BEEN MADE AT A RECENT INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF A SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAD BEEN TRAPPED BY A LOCKED ROOF DOOR IN A FIRE IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR.

+KEYS CAN EASILY BE MISPLACED, MISSING OR STOLEN, AND IT WOULD ALSO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE THEM IN THE DENSE SMOKE OF A FIRE,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

NEW OUTLINE ZONING PLAN FOR MONG KOK, YAU MA TEI

******

A NEW OUTLINE ZONING PLAN HAS BEEN DRAFTED FOR MONG KOK AND YAU MA TEI (EAST) TO EXERCISE STATUTORY PLANNING CONTROL OVER THE AREAS.

THE DRAFT PLAN COVERS ABOUT 138 HECTARES BOUNDED BY BOUNDARY STREET ON THE NORTH, NATHAN ROAD ON THE WEST, JORDAN ROAD/GASCOIGNE ROAD ON THE SOUTH AND THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY ON THE EAST.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD SAID LAND USE ZONINGS SHOWN ON THE DRAFT PLAN PRIMARILY REFLECT THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR THE AREA.

OF THE 138 HECTARES, 7.07 HECTARES ALONG NATHAN ROAD HAS BEEN ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL USE: 14.31 HECTARES TO THE NORTH OF DUNDAS STREET FOR RESIDENTIAL USE ALLOWING COMMERCIAL USES ON THE LOWER THREE FLOORS OF ANY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING; 3.85 HECTARES AT KING'S PARK SOLELY FOR RESIDENTIAL USE; AND 34.67 HECTARES FOR GOVERNMENT/INSTITUTION/COMMUNITY USES.

THERE WILL