More than 2,000 smoke doors need to be replaced in public housing estates, the Housing Department said yesterday.
It had identified 6,201 doors in more than 1,200 blocks of flats which needed replacing, a spokesman said.
The faulty doors, pinpointed in April last year, resulted from wear and tear as well as vandalism.
Some 4,120 have been replaced and the remainder will be done by the end of March, said the spokesman. He denied any laxity in the department's inspections.
'Our people inspect every corner and corridor of all premises twice daily and pay special attention to fire escapes and smoke doors,' he said.
'There is no need for the Democratic Party or the public to question the Housing Department's commitment to fire prevention.' His comments followed the release of a Democratic Party survey showing many smoke doors in 23 estates in the western New Territories did not fit and others were left open by residents.