Latest news with #LammaIV
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Inspectors did not need to look for ship flaws, Hong Kong disaster probe told
A former Marine Department official has maintained at a court inquest into one of Hong Kong's deadliest maritime disasters that he and his colleagues were not obliged to detect structural flaws during regular ship inspections. Retired principal ship surveyor Wong Chi-kin told the Coroner's Court on Friday that department staff would only inspect specific items on a vessel 'by intuition' without looking for possible defects. Wong said ship inspectors would not have realised that the lack of a watertight door in between two underdeck rooms of the Lamma IV passenger ferry was a mistake which subsequently contributed to its rapid sinking after a collision with another vessel in 2012, as they would normally overlook matters not drawn to their attention before inspections. 'Formally, we only looked at what was required of us,' the witness said. 'It could be possible that [an inspector] found out [a structural defect] himself, but most of them would just walk past and ignore it.' Wong also defended his decision to approve what appeared to be a self-contradictory drawing of the Lamma IV that indicated an access opening was to be introduced between two supposedly watertight hull compartments at the stern. Instead, he blamed the Lamma IV's manufacturer, Cheoy Lee Shipyards, for failing to notify the department about opening the hatch without installing a watertight door, which violated official survey protocols.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong marine officials missed ferry design flaw, disaster inquiry hears
Two Marine Department officials have told a court inquest that they failed to notice a design flaw in a ferry involved in one of Hong Kong's deadliest maritime disasters as they thought they were not required to look for such issues during periodical check-ups. The Coroner's Court on Monday heard oral evidence from three current and former ship inspectors who were involved in checks on the Lamma IV between 1997 and 2009 before it collided with another ferry and sank on October 1, 2012. The Lamma IV was hit by the Sea Smooth ferry in the waters off Lamma Island while carrying 124 HK Electric employees and their relatives to watch National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour. The Lamma Island-bound Sea Smooth, operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, was able to continue its journey to Yung Shue Wan Pier, but the Lamma IV sank in less than two minutes, leading to 39 deaths. The court previously heard that the Lamma IV's initial design from 1995 involved six compartments on the underdeck, with the steering gear compartment and the tank room at the stern separated by a watertight bulkhead. The ferry sank in less than two minutes. Photo: Handout Lo Ngok-ying, a director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards which built the Lamma IV, later decided to introduce a hatch connecting the two rooms without a watertight door to comply with what he thought was a legal requirement on the minimal size of underdeck rooms.
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Ex-ship worker failed to check safety data for sunk Hong Kong ferry, court hears
A former engineering manager at the company that built a ferry involved in one of Hong Kong's deadliest maritime disasters has admitted during a court inquest that he failed to ensure the accuracy of the vessel's safety data submitted to the government. Advertisement Cheung Chuen-yau made the comment while testifying at the Coroner's Court on Friday, the fourth day of what is expected to be a 60-day inquiry into a 2012 maritime disaster that left 39 people dead. Cheung told the court that he was responsible for ensuring the Lamma IV's 'damage stability', which refers to a vessel's ability to stay afloat after sustaining damage, was correctly measured before seeking the Marine Department's approval to modify the ship in 1998 and 2005. But the former Cheoy Lee Shipyards worker said he had done nothing but put his faith in his junior colleagues' calculations, which were generated using software that he admitted he was unsure how to use. He also said he had never seen the Lamma IV's layout plans, let alone the discrepancies in some of them about whether a bulkhead separating two of the lower deck's compartments needed to be watertight. Advertisement The Lamma IV's hull was damaged by the Sea Smooth passenger ferry in the waters off Lamma Island while carrying 124 HK Electric employees and their relatives to watch the National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour on October 1, 2012.
The Star
08-05-2025
- The Star
Coroner's inquest begins into 2012 Hong Kong Lamma ferry disaster
A coroner's inquest into one of Hong Kong's worst maritime disasters started on Tuesday, with some survivors complaining that they were never told the location of life-saving apparatus and the means of escape before their ferry sank in the accident 13 years ago. The Coroner's Court on Tuesday began hearing evidence regarding the circumstances of the 39 deaths caused by a collision between two ferries in waters off Lamma Island on October 1, 2012. The long-overdue hearing was held after two relatives of victims convinced the Court of Appeal that it was in the public interest to investigate the incident once again, even though the causes of the tragedy had been largely identified in previous inquiries. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The 39 deceased were among 124 passengers on board the Lamma IV vessel heading to view National Day fireworks as part of a recreational event by HK Electric organised for its employees and their relatives. The boat was hit on the port side by the Sea Smooth ferry, operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, while heading to Victoria Harbour at around 8.20pm. The damaged Sea Smooth was able to continue to Lamma Island's Yung Shue Wan Pier, but the Lamma IV sank in less than two minutes partly due to design flaws. It marked the city's worst maritime disaster since 1971, when 88 were killed after a ferry sank during a typhoon. On the first day of what is expected to be a 60-day inquiry, the court heard 17 witness statements recorded either during police investigations or in preparation for a commission of inquiry in 2012. The statements were made by three then HK Electric employees, the Lamma IV's skipper and 13 passengers. Chow Chi-wai, who was behind Lamma IV's helm, said in a police interview that he had sounded an alarm immediately after noticing Sea Smooth sailing towards the HK Electric vessel. He added the crash came 'very quickly' in 'less than one minute'. Most of the surviving passengers recalled the Lamma IV suddenly speeding up moments before impact, with some adding they did not believe the crew members had taken any action to avoid the crash. HK Electric clerk Wendy Szeto Lan, who invited 20 relatives and friends to the event, said there was no sign inside the Lamma IV indicating the location of lifebuoys or written instructions in case of an emergency. Another passenger, Lau Kam-bor, also said the ship's crew never briefed those on board about the location of lifebuoys and life jackets or escape routes before the vessel set sail. Coroner Monica Chow Wai-choo said the inquest would focus on six issues the appellate court found to remain unresolved, including whether the Lamma IV's coaming was lower than required and whether the installation of metal plating on the Sea Smooth's port hull had contributed to the tragedy. The coroner's officer, senior prosecutor Andrew Li Hay-chit, revealed that more than one witness remained out of reach and his team was considering the possibility of applying for arrest warrants to compel their appearances in later proceedings. The court is expected to hear more witness statements by the survivors when proceedings resume on Wednesday. Philip Chiu Ping-chuen, who lost his elder sister Chiu Siu-king in the disaster, is expected to testify on Thursday as the first witness to give oral evidence in the inquest. More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Boat involved in Hong Kong ferry disaster ‘was sailing at high speed' before crash
A ferry involved in one of Hong Kong's worst maritime disasters 13 years ago had been sailing at high speed before it crashed into another vessel and caused the latter to sink within minutes, a court inquest has heard. Advertisement The Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday that the Sea Smooth could have been travelling as fast as 20 knots, or about 37km/h, before the collision with the Lamma IV off the waters of Lamma Island that claimed 39 lives on October 1, 2012. Witnesses also recalled how the Sea Smooth's crewmen appeared 'shocked and nervous' after the accident, while the dozens of passengers on board were divided on whether the ship should continue its journey or help in the rescue of those thrown off the sunken Lamma IV. The Lamma IV, owned by HK Electric, was en route to Victoria Harbour that night to view National Day fireworks as part of a recreational event the company organised for its staff and their relatives. The ship, with 124 passengers on board, sank in less than two minutes after the collision, partly due to design flaws, resulting in 39 deaths – the city's worst maritime disaster since 1971. Advertisement The court on Wednesday heard 24 witness statements that the survivors gave during a police investigation shortly after the tragedy.
