Ferry disaster inquiry may take six months
It may take six months for the disaster investigation to learn how the deadly ferry collision happened and who is responsible, according to the director of the Marine Department.
It may take six months for the disaster investigation to learn how the deadly ferry collision happened and who is responsible, according to the director of the Marine Department.
Speaking in a radio interview, Francis Liu Hon-por said investigators would soon enter the wrecked ferry, Lamma IV, to begin their work.
The vessel, owned by Hongkong Electric, was moved to shallow water near Lamma Island on Tuesday evening, he said.
The crash occurred when the weather and visibility were good, Liu noted. The department will learn to what extent the two ships’ captains were following guidelines about avoiding other ships, using all available equipment and keeping watch to see where they were going.
The Lamma IV has a large hole – about 3 metres square – near its back end, Liu said.
“The crash did a lot of damage. My colleagues will find out why [Lamma IV] sank so quickly,” he added.
The vessel was taking employees of Hongkong Electric and their relatives to Victoria Harbour to watch a National Day fireworks display when the accident happened.
