New | Cross-border ferry collides with container ship in thick fog
A cross-border ferry carrying more than 80 airport-bound passengers collided with a container ship off Tuen Mun amid poor visibility on Tuesday morning. The Marine Department said visibility in Urmston Road (a fairway) off Tap Shek Kok had dropped to 370 metres when the collision happened at about 10.30am.
A cross-border ferry carrying more than 80 airport-bound passengers collided with a container ship off Tuen Mun amid poor visibility on Tuesday morning.
The Marine Department said visibility in Urmston Road (a fairway) off Tap Shek Kok had dropped to 370 metres when the collision happened at about 10.30am.
A department spokeswoman said no one was injured and the two vessels had minor damage in their hulls.
The ferry was carrying 82 passengers and 10 crew members from Shekou, Guangdong to Skypier at the Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau, according to the department.
“Reaching the area off Tap Shek Kok at about 10.30am, the two vessels had a ‘minor’ collision,” the spokeswoman said.
Boats from the Marine Department and Marine police were then deployed to the scene.
The spokeswoman said that after an inspection, the ferry was found fit to continue its journey and offloaded all the passengers at Skypier.
She said the Hong Kong-registered container ship remained to be held at the scene to assist the investigation.
The Marine Department is still investigating the cause of the incident.
As visibility was lower than 3.7km, the department issued a reminder at about 6am for masters, coxswains and crew members, advising them to proceed at a safe speed and exercise extreme caution while navigating in Hong Kong waters.
“Appropriate sound signals should be made when underway or at anchor,” the department said.
Meanwhile, Tuesday's fog also delayed TurboJet ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau.
The Observatory says a mild and humid maritime airstream is bringing foggy weather to Hong Kong.
