Missing door on Lamma IV was not focus of checks: Ship inspector
Marine Department officer who checked vessel says he did not notice whether there was a watertight door as it was not a structural detail
A ship inspector for the Marine Department who had vetted the Lamma IV said he had not considered a missing watertight door a structural defect, a commission of inquiry into the ferry's October 1 sinking heard yesterday.
Although the vessel's approved plan included a watertight door in the bulkhead opening between the vessel's steering gear compartment and tank room, the door was never installed, said barrister Felix Pao for Cheoy Lee Shipyards, which built the ferry in 1995.
As a result, three compartments were flooded, which contributed to the ferry's speedy sinking after it collided with the Sea Smooth off Lamma Island, an expert report found.
Senior ship inspector Fung Wai-man told the commission yesterday that whether there was a door was not the focus of his initial inspection of the vessel in November 1995.
He said he did not notice whether there was a door during his inspection.
"Even if there was no watertight door … I would not have considered that an abnormality because [such] details … are outfittings, not structure," Fung said. "Outfittings can be changed at a later stage."
Retired principal ship surveyor Wong Chi-kin said the door's absence was a departure from the approved plan. During the inspection, the vessel would not have been approved without the door, unless calculations showed its absence would not compromise safety, he said.