Six Arrested After Hong Kong Ferry Crash
- 12 years ago
Today during a press conference in Hong Kong, there was a moment of silence for the 38 people who perished in Monday's deadly ferry crash.
Two ferries collided near Lamma Island, south of Hong Kong. One ferry sank, the other one damaged. 100 people have been hospitalized with 9 in critical condition.
Six crew members, three from each boat, were arrested after the accident for compromising the safety of their passengers.
[Tsang Wai-hung, Commissioner of Police]:
"From the investigation so far, we've come to the suspicion that the crew responsible for manning the two vessels has not exercised the care required of them by law to ensure the safety of the vessels that they are navigating, as well as the people on board their vessels. It is on this basis that they've been arrested to assist police enquiry. At the moment, we arrested totally six persons. We expect further person to be arrested. Our investigation will continue."
The two vessels collided in one of the busiest shipping lanes in Asia, and on a busier-than-normal night. Monday was the start of an eight-day long national holiday, marking China's National Day, and the Mid- Autumn Festival on Sunday. The boat that sank was carrying passengers headed to celebrations at Victoria Harbour.
The exact cause of the accident is still unknown. The night was clear and the vessel that ran into the other ferry had recently undergone safety inspections. Although the waters are busy, accidents of this magnitude are rare in this area.
The last deadly maritime accident occurred in 1971 when a typhoon sunk a ferry between Hong Kong and Macau, killing 88 people.
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Two ferries collided near Lamma Island, south of Hong Kong. One ferry sank, the other one damaged. 100 people have been hospitalized with 9 in critical condition.
Six crew members, three from each boat, were arrested after the accident for compromising the safety of their passengers.
[Tsang Wai-hung, Commissioner of Police]:
"From the investigation so far, we've come to the suspicion that the crew responsible for manning the two vessels has not exercised the care required of them by law to ensure the safety of the vessels that they are navigating, as well as the people on board their vessels. It is on this basis that they've been arrested to assist police enquiry. At the moment, we arrested totally six persons. We expect further person to be arrested. Our investigation will continue."
The two vessels collided in one of the busiest shipping lanes in Asia, and on a busier-than-normal night. Monday was the start of an eight-day long national holiday, marking China's National Day, and the Mid- Autumn Festival on Sunday. The boat that sank was carrying passengers headed to celebrations at Victoria Harbour.
The exact cause of the accident is still unknown. The night was clear and the vessel that ran into the other ferry had recently undergone safety inspections. Although the waters are busy, accidents of this magnitude are rare in this area.
The last deadly maritime accident occurred in 1971 when a typhoon sunk a ferry between Hong Kong and Macau, killing 88 people.
For more news and videos visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com
Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision
Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C