XN000022-1988-05-18 — Page 29

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988

THA'S PERSONS IN VACANT INSTALLATIONS

DR HO REFERRED TO CLAIMS THAT OUTBREAKS OF FIRE IN SOME OR SQUATTER AREAS HAD BEEN CAUSED BY UNAUTHORISED THA UNITS OR SQUATTER STRUCTURES AND THAT FIRE-FIGHTING IN THESE AREAS HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED.

ASKED

HE

WHAT MEASURES WERB BEING TAKEN UNAUTHORISED PERSONS COULD NOT ENTER VACANT STRUCTURES SQUATTER AREAS AND THAT FIRE-FIGHTING WERE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER.

ΤΟ

IN INSTALLATIONS

ENSURE THAT IN THA'S AND THESE AREAS

VACANT TEMPORARY

HOUSING UNITS WERE

MR LIAO EXPLAINED THAT BOARDED UP BY HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF 90 AS TO PREVENT TRESPASSING.

THESK UNITS WERE CHECKED BY HOUSING DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT STAFF AND SECURITY GUARDS REGULARLY.

THE POLICE WERE ALSO GIVEN LISTS OF VACANT UNITS SO COULD INSPECT THEM DURING ROUTINE PATROLS.

THAT THEY

"VACANT SQUATTER HUTS ARE DEMOLISHED WHEREVER

POSSIBLE SO AS

11

TO PREVENT RE-OCCUPATION, HE SAID.

THE EFFECT

"WHERE THIS CANNOT BE DONE, FOR EXAMPLE BECAUSE OF ON THE STABILITY OF ADJACENT HUTS, THE PREMISES ARE BOARDED UP.

ALSO

"THESE HUTS ARE

AT INSPECTED HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S SQUATTER CONTROL STAFF."

REGULAR INTERVALS

BY

MR LIAO SAID THAT THE ABOVE MEASURES WERE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE.

AND WERE

"SO FAR, THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR FIRES

IN STARTED OF WHICH WERE CONNECTED WITH A SUICIDAL ATTEMPT.

VACANT

UNITS

IN THA'S, TWO BELIEVED

TO

BE

"OF THE 15 SQUATTER FIRES THIS YEAR, ONLY ONE WAS STARTED IN A VACANT HUT, HE SAID.

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