XN000022-1993-03-29 — Page 5

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1993

MAR 92 TO

MAR 91 TO

CHANGE

LAST 12 MONTHS

FEB 93 HK$ MN.

FEB 92 HK$ MN.

HK$ MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

233,835

229,178

+4,656

+2.0

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(24.7%)

(29.3%)

RE-EXPORTS

713, 169

552,748

+160,421 +29. 0

TOTAL EXPORTS

947,004

781,926

+165,078

+21.1

IMPORTS

977,410

797.396

+180,014

+22.6

TRADE BALANCE

-30,406

-15,470

-14,936

PRE-WAR BUILDINGS IN WESTERN DECLARED DANGEROUS

PRE-WAR

THE BUILDING AUTHORITY TODAY (MONDAY) DECLARED FOUR BUILDINGS IN WESTERN DISTRICT DANGEROUS AND LIABLE ΤΟ BECOME DANGEROUS.

TOGETHER

DECLARED DANGEROUS IS 8 UI ON LANE, WHILE 2 4 AND 6, WITH A STRUCTURE IN THE REAR LANE OF 2-8, HAVE BEEN DECLARED LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.

THE BUILDINGS CONCERNED HAD LOAD-BEARING BRICK WALLS AND, EXCEPT NO. 4, TIMBER FLOOR AND ROOF JOISTS. THE FLOOR AND ROOF OF NO. 4 WERE REPLACED BEFORE 1971 WITH REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS AND SLABS SUPPORTED ON THE LOAD-BEARING WALLS.

THE CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURAL TIMBER MEMBERS AND ROOF AND FLOOR BOARDS OF NO. 8 ARR VERY POOR WITH SOME BADLY DEFECTIVE TIMBERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE REAR KITCHEN BLOCK. TEMPORARY TIMBER SUPPORTS WERE INSTALLED THERE BY A GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED CONTRACTOR EARLIER THIS MONTH AS AN EMERGENCY MEASURE AGAINST AN IMMINENT COLLAPSE OF THE FLOOR AND ROOF.

SIMILAR BADLY

DEFECTIVE STRUCTURAL TIMBERS HAVE BEEN

IDENTIFIED AT NO. 2 AS EVIDENCED BY THE SAGGING ROOF.

THE LOAD-BEARING WALLS ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE AS EVIDENCED BY FRACTURES IN AND THROUGH THE WALLS, WITH OPEN-JOINTED AND ERODED BRICKWORK AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS. RECENT OUTWARD MOVEMENT HAS ALSO BEEN NOTED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE REAR AND GABLE WALLS OF NO. 2.

AT

IN VIEW OF THE EXTENT OF THE DEFECTIVE STRUCTURAL TIMBERS NO. 8, COUPLED WITH THE DANGER OF COLLAPSE OF PARTS OF THIS BUILDING, AND THE POOR CONDITION OF THE LOAD-BEARING WALLS, THE BUILDING SHOULD BE CLOSED AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

THE BUILDING AT NO. 2

SHOULD ALSO BE

CLOSED AS AND SIGNS

LIABLE то OF RECENT

BECOME DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF THE SAGGING ROOF MOVEMENT.

/THE BUILDINGS