XN000022-1986-01-05 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1986

ELECTRICAL FIRES ARE MAIN DANGER

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ILLEGAL TAPPING OF ELECTRICITY, OVERLOADING OF CIRCUITS AND THE USE OF SUB-STANDARD WIRES AND SOCKETS WERE THE MAIN CAUSES OF ELECTRICAL FIRES, THE DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF KOWLOON FIRE COMMAND, MR WU KWAN-KUEN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

THESE CAUSED 36 PER CENT OF SOME 700 FIRES REPORTED IN WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT LAST YEAR, HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT FIRE PREVENTION DAY, MR WU POINTED OUT THAT ELECTRICAL FIRES WERE BY FAR THE MOST SERIOUS FIRE HAZARDS.

+THEY THREATEN LIVES AND CAUSE INCONVENIENCES TO RESIDENTS,+ HE SAID.

ADDED.

URGENT MEASURES WERE REQUIRED TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, HE

HE ALSO REFERRED TO THE SETTING UP OF 20 FIRE WATCH TEAMS IN THE DISTRICT'S SQUATTER AREAS, AND PRAISED THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN CALLING FOR HELP AND HELPING TO EVACUATE RESIDENTS MAINTAINING ORDER AND FOR LEADING FIREMEN TO THE SCENES OF FIRÉS.

+BY DOING SO THEY HELP THE FIREMEN TO TAKE PROMPT ACTION, THUS REDUCING LOSSES,+ MR WU SAID.

FORTY-SEVEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND ONE PERSON DIED IN FIRES IN WONG TAI SIN LAST YEAR,

TODAY'S FUNCTION AT THE WONG TAI SIN FIRE STATION WAS PART OF THE DISTRICT-WIDE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN ORGANISED BY THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT OFFICE.

A THREE-HOUR ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME INCLUDING FIRE-FIGHTING AND SELF-RESCUE DEMONSTRATIONS, SINGING, MAGIC SHOWS AND ACROBATIC DISPLAYS, WAS STAGED FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

THERE WAS ALSO A PHOTOGRAPHIC DISPLAY OF FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES.