District 18 News
Written by: District Licheng
2021-03-09 20:52
The last update date: 2021-03-09 20:52
In recent months, there have been successive fire accidents in old buildings in Hong Kong. When Chief Executive Carrie Lam attended the Legislative Council Management Conference last month, he also expressed his intention to amend the law to empower the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department to strengthen the fire safety of old buildings. Some district councillors are concerned about Yau Tsim. Wang is the worst-hit area of the Sanwu Old Building and is worried about the frequent fires during the window period before the legislation. The Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department responded that they have inspected 9,719 target mixed-use buildings in Hong Kong and 2,800 buildings of 60 years or older in Hong Kong. Of the old buildings, 800 of them have fire safety hazards, mainly in Kowloon City, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai and Yau Tsim Mong districts, and enforcement actions are being taken.
According to the information of the Fire Services Department, there are 13,500 old buildings targeted by the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, and about 13,500 targeted buildings regulated by the Ordinance. It is understood that the authorities are conducting the first phase of inspections, and about 10,000 have been completed. A target mixed-use building completed on or before March 1, 1987. However, as of October last year, the authorities had issued more than 280,000 fire safety instructions, but there are still 60% to be followed or followed up, Yau Tsim Mong District As many as 3,000 buildings in the building have not yet complied with the improvement instructions of the Buildings Department or Fire Services Department. Since many residents are elderly or ethnic minorities, they have not been able to pay the relevant payments, or they have ignored the request because they are tenants. The prescription clarified the current progress and suggested that the authorities consider strengthening assistance to the owners of the Sanwu Building in Yau Tsim Mong District to improve fire-fighting facilities, and consider assisting owners with financial difficulties in handling fire safety instructions.
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A spokesperson for the Buildings Department responded that the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department conducted joint inspections of target buildings in phases as planned. The first phase of inspections was 10,500 mixed-use buildings, of which there were about 2,100 in Yau Tsim Mong District. As of the end of January this year, it was completed. For 9,719 buildings, the Fire Services Department will continue to complete inspections of the remaining buildings and begin the second phase of target residential buildings.
The spokesman continued that after completing inspections and giving "instructions", the Buildings Department will regularly send staff to inspect the buildings involved in carrying out improvement works in accordance with the "instructions".
The authorities will also provide different aspects of support to owners of old buildings, and notify the IACM of the list of buildings that have not been incorporated and building management offices for follow-up. The Buildings Department will also dispatch social work support teams to provide further assistance to those in need. Consider extending the time limit for the relevant owners to comply with the "instructions".
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Fire protection: There are fire hazards in about 800 old buildings in Hong Kong
As Sanwu Building is difficult to manage and organize projects to improve fire safety, the government has considered amending the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance to empower the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department to perform fire safety on behalf of owners of old buildings who are unable to meet the requirements of the Ordinance After the improvement works are completed, the relevant expenses will be recovered from them. It is hoped that public consultation will be conducted in the second half of the year, and appropriate mechanism amendments will be formulated to authorize relevant departments to work.
In addition, the representative of the Fire Services Department responded to the Yau Tsim Mong District Councillor’s enquiry, saying that since the fire in Yau Ma Tei, which caused 8 deaths and 10 injuries in November last year, the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department have completed 2,800 buildings in Hong Kong for 60 years or more. Inspections of age-old buildings found that about 1,200 buildings did not have any fire hazard; about 680 buildings were vacant, prepared or being demolished, and occupied by a single tenant; 100 buildings could not be accessed due to locked entrances; the remaining about 800 buildings There are hidden dangers such as obstruction of escape routes and insufficient fire fighting equipment. Buildings are between 60 and 65 years old. They are mainly concentrated in Kowloon City, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai and Yau Tsim Mong districts. Enforcement actions will be taken against the relevant owners in accordance with the fire protection regulations.
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Three fires in four days, one person killed in the fire site
As far as Yau Tsim Mong District is concerned, as of the end of last month, more than 200 target buildings had fire hazards. The Fire Services Department issued a total of 109 "Fire Hazard Elimination Notices" and prosecuted two of them.
Regarding the fire safety issue of ethnic minority gathering places, it is necessary to strengthen education in ethnic minority settlements, and to provide brochures in different regional languages. In July last year, three ethnic minority part-time contract community planning assistants were also hired for promotion. They are planning to hire Three more people strengthened communication with ethnic minorities.
Since the Nepalese family gathered in an upstairs unit on Canton Road in November last year, the fire safety of the old building has become a topic of concern after the eight deadly fire alarms. There were three fire alarms in succession last Thursday.
Last Wednesday (3rd) at about 11pm, a fire broke out on the stairs behind the roof of the 8th floor of Hang Fung Building, 7-8 Wah Fung Street, Hung Hom, affecting a metal house nearby. During the fire, Indian residents risked flying 3 meters to the fence. Thrilling escape on the roof of the Tang Tower.
Last Thursday (4th) at 5 o'clock in the morning, a fire broke out in a sub-district unit at No. 172 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. A family of four was sent to hospital for treatment suspected of inhaling heavy smoke. The police subsequently arrested a 44-year-old non-Chinese on arson. man.
As of last Saturday (6th), a fire broke out in a cubicle unit at No. 260 Reclamation Street, Yau Ma Tei in the early morning, causing one death and 13 injuries. The deceased was a 53-year-old solitary man who applied for CSSA in the cubicle.
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Fire safety in old buildings