Hong Kong ferry disaster kills 37

Eyewitnesses say one vessel went down within 10 minutes of the collision off Lamma Island

guardian.co.uk, Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong,  Tuesday 2 October 2012

One of the boats is pulled out of the water near Yung Shue Wan on
Lamma Island. Photograph: Chinafotopress/Getty Images

At least 37 people have been killed in a ferry collision in Hong Kong, prompting the territory's chief executive to announce an inquiry into the incident.

The collision on Monday evening took place off Lamma Island, which lies about a mile south-west of Hong Kong.

One of the ferries, used by Hong Kong Electric, had 124 people on board as it carried them towards Hong Kong where they were due to watch the National Day fireworks in Victoria harbour.

The other ferry, owned by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry (HKKF), was returning with passengers from Hong Kong Island.

Rescue work was continuing on Tuesday as officials said there may be passengers trapped inside the half-sunken HK Electric ferry. The collision happened at 8.30pm local time, after which the HKKF vessel continued into Yung Shue Wan harbour on Lamma.

The HK Electric boat was allowed to carry up to 200 passengers, the company said. According to passengers, the ship went down very fast – within 10 minutes of the collision – giving any passengers trapped inside very little time to escape. There were several dozen people in the water to be rescued, police reports said.

A number of emergency boats appeared quickly on the scene as two helicopters shone beams over the site. Twenty-eight people were confirmed dead at the scene, as injured and shocked passengers were transported to hospitals on Hong Kong Island.

A number of passengers on the HKKF boat suffered injuries as they were thrown from their seats with the impact, but there were no deaths reported.

Hong Kong resident Tina Tucker, who was staying with friends in Pak Kok on Lamma Island, described what she could see from the shore. "I saw the bow sticking out of the water, Titanic style," she said. "The helicopters were circling with big searchlights across the surrounding water as were a lot of smaller boats with lights."

"There was a large crane on a big tug trying to lift it this morning, but they didn't get very far, so they've now brought in a larger boat. There are a number of sampans and junks that have come for a look, but the police have been patrolling and keeping them at a distance."

Chris Head, 48, a Lamma resident of 18 years who was on the HKKF ferry, told the SouthChina Morning Post: "Initially we were trying to put on our life jackets so we were more concerned with that. But after a few minutes, probably about five, I could see that the end – I couldn't tell whether it was the bow or the stern – of the boat was sticking vertically out of the water."

Hong Kong largely has an efficient transport system, and incidents involving fatalities are very rare.

Hong Kong's chief executive, CY Leung, promised an inquiry into the incident. He arrived at South Horizons towards the south side of Hong Kong Island on Monday evening to receive updates from the emergency services. Other government officials went to the hospitals to see the passengers as they came in.

The Lamma Strait is a busy shipping channel. There were more ferries than usual scheduled on Monday as it was a public holiday to celebrate China's National Day, which was also part of an extended weekend marking the mid-autumn festival.

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