XN000022-1993-01-27 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1993

AT THE TIME OF THE COLLAPSE, THE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN DECLARED DANGEROUS AND CLOSED UNDER A CLOSURE ORDER.

THE REPORT SAYS THAT THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE (BOO) TEAM INVESTIGATING THE COLLAPSE HAD IDENTIFIED AND ANALYSED THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

* POOR STANDARD OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION;

* AGEING AND DETERIORATION OF THE ELEMENTS OF CONSTRUCTION;

THE DEMOLITION OF NO. 32, WING ON STREET;

THE FIRE ON JUNE 26, 1991

DISTURBANCE CAUSED BY CLOSURE OF THE BUILDINGS;

*

*

DISTURBANCE

CAUSED BY THE

PREPARATORY

DEMOLITION;

*

MOVEMENT OF FLOOR AND ROOF JOISTS;

WORK FOR THE

* VIBRATION FROM A CONSTRUCTION SITE IN THE AREA; AND

REMOVAL OF SOME FLOOR JOISTS BY DEMOLITION WORKMEN.

THE REPORT POINTS OUT THAT FROM AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, DEFINITIVE CAUSE OF COLLAPSE CAN BE ESTABLISHED.

THE BOO IS, HOWEVER, OF THE OPINION THAT IT IS ONE FACTOR ALONE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE COLLAPSE THOUGH IDENTIFIED FACTORS DID HAVE THE EFFECT OF WEAKENING THE VARYING DEGREE.

UNLIKELY

NO

THAT

SOME OF THE BUILDINGS IN

EQUATED TO A

THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT THE COLLAPSE "MAY BE VERY OLD PERSON SUFFERING FROM A MULTITUDE OF DISEASES PASSING AWAY".

WAGE INDICES FOR SEPTEMBER 1992

* * *

THE OVERALL NOMINAL WAGK INDEX FOR SEPTEMBER 1992 WAS 10.2 CENT HIGHER THAN IN SEPTEMBER 1991, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE CENSUS & STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

PER

AFTER DISCOUNTING FOR INFLATION, THE OVERALL REAL WAGE INDEX FOR SEPTEMBER 1992 SHOWED A MARGINAL INCREASE OF 0.3 PER CENT OVER SEPTEMBER 1991.

AFTER

COMPARING SEPTEMBER 1992 WITH MARCH 1992, THE OVERALL WAGE INDEX SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 5.3 PER CENT IN NOMINAL TERMS. DISCOUNTING FOR INFLATION, THERE WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE OF 0.5 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS.

/ANALYSED BY