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Joyce Man

Asia's largest floating derrick will arrive next week to lift a Ukrainian tugboat that sank in waters off Tuen Mun last month.
The Neftegaz-67 sank on March 22 after colliding with the Yaohai cargo ship. Twenty-four sailors died in the accident.
Fire Services Department director Lo Chun-hung said workers from the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau would carry out the salvage operation.
The 4,000-tonne floating derrick, the Hua Tian Long, will arrive next Saturday and  prepare to lift the tug the following Wednesday,  said Maxim Nikolayenko, press consultant for Chornomornaftogaz, the company that owns the sunken tugboat.
The Nan Yang, a 500-tonne heavy-lift barge that is also part of the salvage bureau's fleet, reached the crash site three days ago, said Yulia Vorzhenskaya, spokesperson for the Ukrainian  delegation overseeing recovery efforts in Hong Kong.
Workers are  studying how to attach cables to the Neftegaz-67 and ensure it can withstand the change in water pressure when raised, said a salvage bureau representative who declining to be identified.
The  Hua Tian Long would be standing idle  if it were present during current preparations, he added.
Mr Lo stressed that the water levels and widely varying sizes of passing vessels made it impractical to bring Hua Tian Long in at this time.
The crash site was quiet yesterday, interrupted only by Marine Services Department patrol boats and noise from distant freighters.
Three Guangzhou Salvage Bureau barges - the Nan Tian Shun, Nan Yang and Zhong Ren 103 - floated in a cluster as  workers manoeuvred their cranes. About 200 metres south, three tugboats waited.
The salvage operation is expected to cost US$10 million, Mr Nikolayenko said, pointing out that Hua Tian Long's daily rental rate was US$400,000. About 100 people, including 30 divers, are involved in the operation.
Eight salvage bureau vessels are being deployed. In addition to the three barges and the derrick, there are four tugboats: Sui Jiu Tuo, Sui Jiu Tuo 10, De Xin and Yao Hang.
Starting on April 2, when Chornomornaftogaz contracted the bureau, the staff mobilised, set up their equipment and sealed off parts where fuel was likely to leak from the sunken tug, Mr Nikolayenko said.
Starting on Wednesday and until  Friday, divers are attaching cables to right the overturned tug,  Ukraine's transport ministry  said yesterday.
After Hua Tian Long arrives,  from April 20 to 22 they will attach heavy-lifting cables. On April 23, they will raise the sunken tug.



Derrick will arrive next week to raise sunken Ukrainian tugboat