Fire_Services_1965-1966 — Page 37

heavy concentrations of inflammable vapours and without any ready means of escape had a flash fire occurred. After removing 9 bodies the aircraft was placed ashore and further extrication work suspended until the following day since the inflammable vapours precluded the use of the artificial lighting needed to continue working through the night.

132. From the time of the crash until noon the following day fire boats, Marine launches, Police launches and Shell Company launch continually patrolled the area checking and breaking up drifts of fuel spillage with detergents and foam. Extrication of 20 more bodies was completed by 17.22 hours on 25th August, 1965, and a further 27 bodies. were eventually recovered from the sea.

133. The total death roll of this tragedy was 59.

Explosion-Tai Hang Tung Road, Kowloon

134. At 22.07 hours on 21st September, 1965 Mainland Fire Control received a call to an explosion in a squatter area adjacent to the above captioned road. On arrival Fire Service units found that a number of squatter huts had been extensively damaged by an explosion and numberous persons were scattered about the area with varying degrees of injuries. The casualties were given emergency treatment and con- veyed to hospital by Fire Service ambulances. Of the 24 casualties conveyed to hospital 3 succumbed to their injuries.

4th Alarm-Whitty Street, Hong Kong

135. At 01.38 hours on 25th October, 1965 a fire broke out on the ground floor of No. 26, Whitty Street which is a 15 storey multi- occupancy reinforced concrete building. When the first Fire Service units arrived at the scene within a few minutes of the call, the ground floor was already well alight and dense volumes of smoke were mushrooming through the whole premises. Approximately 100 persons were trapped on the upper floors, being cut off by smoke and heat' from the staircases mainly because smoke lobby doors designed to protect the staircase had all been wedged open. Search and rescue personnel evacuated all persons from the building and the fire was extinguished at 02.26 hours for an actual monetary loss of $58,439.33.

Ship Fire-m.v. 'General Sikorski'

136. On 5th November, 1965 at approximately 01.30 hours a fire was discovered in the No. 4 hold tween deck of the Polish registered

27.