XN000022-1992-12-10 — Page 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1992

ON THE

INCREASING PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTS, MR SO SAID SERIOUS CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN ΤΟ THE SUGGESTION OF HAVING AN ORGANISATION SIMILAR TO CFPA TO TAKE CARE OF PROBLEMS OF CONCERN ΤΟ THE VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTISTS AND TO CHAMPION THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

MR SO ALSO SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD COMMIT ITSELF ΤΟ PROMOTE CULTURE, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY AND MAKING HONG KONG A CULTURAL CENTRE OF ASIA.

BUILDINGS IN KWONG YUEN STREET DECLARED DANGEROUS

THE BUILDING AUTHORITY HAS DECLARED THE BUILDINGS AT 12 AND 14 KWONG YUEN STREET FAST DANGEROUS AND THE BUILDINGS AT 8, 10 AND 16 OF THE SAME STREET AND 5 KWONG YUEN STREET WEST LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.

IN A STATEMENT ISSUED THIS (THURSDAY) MORNING, THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING SURVEYOR SAID ALL THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT

GOVERNMENT PRE-WAR.

NEARLY ALL OF

THEM HAD LOAD-BEARING BRICK PARTY-WALLS AND TIMBER FLOOR AND ROOF JOISTS, HE ADDED.

THE BUILDING AT 5 KWONG YUEN STREET WEST IS A SINGLE-STOREY BUILDING, HAVING BEEN PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED PREVIOUSLY. IT HAS LOAD-BEARING BRICK WALLS, ONE OF WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY RAKING SHORES.

THE LOAD-BEARING PARTY-WALLS WERE DEFECTIVE WITH MANY FRACTURES AND BULGING BRICKWORK, PARTICULARLY IN THE REAR WALLS TO THE KITCHEN BLOCKS WHERE SIGNS OF RECENT MOVEMENT WERE ALSO NOTED.

THE MOST SERIOUS CONDITION WAS AT 14 KWONG YUEN STREET EAST.

THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING SURVEYOR POINTED OUT THAT THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURAL TIMBER MEMBERS IN THE BUILDINGS IN KWONG YUEN STREET EAST WAS POOR WITH DEFECTIVE TIMBERS IN MOST OF THE BUILDINGS.

PARTS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND TIMBER FLOORS 1 N THE BUILDING AT 12 KWONG YUEN STREET EAST HAVE ALREADY COLLAPSED.

VACANT

TIMBER

IN VIEW OF THE EXTENT OF THE DEFECTIVE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AT 12 AND 14 KWONG YUEN STREET EAST, COUPLED WITH THE DANGER OF COLLAPSE OF THE BUILDINGS, SIGNS OF RECENT MOVEMENT AND POOR CONDITION OF THE LOAD-BEARING WALLS, THE BUILDINGS SHOULD BE CLOSED AND DEMOLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY,

THE BUILDINGS AT 8, 10 AND 16 KWONG KWONG YUEN STREET WEST, WHICH ARE ALSO STRUCTURALLY DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER FOR WITHSTAND THE DEMOLITION OF THE ADJOINING CLOSED AND DEMOLISHED FOR THE SAME REASON.

YUEN STREET EAST AND 5 IN A POOR CONDITION AND SUPPORT, COULD NOT SAFELY BUILDINGS AND SHOULD BE

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