XN000022-1987-01-18 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 1987

+ HOTEL FIRES WENT UP FROM FIVE CASES IN 1985 TO 13 IN 1986, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE NUMBER OF FIRES IN SQUATTERS ALSO SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE DURING THE PERIOD FROM 368 IN 1985 TO 425 LAST YEAR AND IN FACTORIES FROM 466 IN 1985 TO 534 LAST YEAR,

SPECIAL SERVICES RESPONDED TO BY THE FIRE SERVICES INCLUDING LANDSLIDES, HOUSE COLLAPSES, DROWNING, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND GAS LEAKAGE AND SO ON WENT UP FROM 9 594 CASES IN 1985 TO 10 895 IN 1986.

+AMONG THE SPECIAL SERVICES, PEOPLE TRAPPED IN MOUNTAINS' CASES ROSE TO 37 FROM 18 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. GAS LEAKAGE CASES INCREASED FROM 289 IN 1985 TO 442 IN 1986, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE AMBULANCE COMMAND ALSO RESPONDED TO A RECORD 365 574 CALLS WITH EMERGENCY ACCOUNTING FOR 250 323 CALLS, REPRESENTING AN AVERAGE OF 1 001 CALLS A DAY. IN 1985, THERE WERE 333 905 CALLS OF WHICH 233 178 WERE EMERGENCY.

THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS CARRIED BY AMBULANCES BOTH FOR EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY ACHIEVED ANOTHER RECORD OF 468 554, COMPARED WITH 441 174 PATIENTS IN 1985.

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$35.5 MILLION PAID TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PAID OUT $35.5 MILLION IN 1986 TO HELP TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS.

THE PAYMENTS WERE MADE UNDER THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) SCHEME ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND REPRESENTED A 2.6 PER CENT INCREASE OVER PAYMENTS MADE ÎN 1985.

DURING THE YEAR, 5 505 APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE WERE RECEIVED AS AGAINST 5 660 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

ABOUT 92 PER CENT OF THE APPLICATIONS, OR 5 076 CASES, WERE SUCCESSFUL.

THE ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE LARGEST NUMBER OF INJURED PERSONS OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 5 AT SHEK PAI TAU ROAD NEAR THE JUNCTION OF MING KAM ROAD, KWAI CHUNG. OF THE 70 VICTIMS INVOLVED, 32 WERE PAID ASSISTANCE TOTALLING $102 303.

/DURING THE