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A comprehensive structural investigation conducted by the Housing Department has found that all buildings in Wo Lok Estate, Kwun Tong, and Ma Tau Wai Estate in Kowloon City are structurally safe.
However, structural repair and improvement works will have to be carried out at the two estates to sustain the buildings for the next 15 years.
At Wo Lok Estate, structural repair and improvement works will be carried out in various locations including the construction of lifts at the seven-storey blocks of Cheung On, Fu On, Hing On, Kin On, Man On, Ping On, Tai On and Yee On.
For Ma Tau Wai Estate, some concrete repair and improvement works are required in various locations of the buildings.
The total cost of the repair works for Wo Lok Estate is $18.89 million and for Ma Tau Wai Estate the cost is $5.28 million.
Completed between 1962 and 1966, Wo Lok Estate comprises 1,941 flats in 11 domestic blocks. Eight blocks are seven stories and three blocks are 14 to 16 stories high.
Ma Tau Wai Estate was completed between 1962 and 1965, with 2,075 flats in five domestic blocks of 14-storey high.
The Housing Department rolled out the comprehensive structural investigation programme in 2005 for 10 public rental housing estates of ages about or more than 40 years to ascertain whether that the housing blocks are structurally safe and economically sustainable.
Investigation of the first four estates, So Uk, Sai Wan, Choi Hung and Model Housing, has been completed. Investigation of the third batch, Wo Lok and Ma Tau Wai Estate, began in August, 2006, and is now completed as scheduled.
Ends/Friday, April 20, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:56
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