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36 Confirmed Dead in Hong Kong Ferry Collision 36 Confirmed Dead in Hong Kong Ferry Collision
(about 3 hours later)
HONG KONG — At least 36 people died in a ferry collision in the busy waters off Hong Kong late on Monday, in one of the worst disasters the city has seen in years.HONG KONG — At least 36 people died in a ferry collision in the busy waters off Hong Kong late on Monday, in one of the worst disasters the city has seen in years.
The accident happened at about 8:30 p.m. local time, when a ferry carrying more than 120 people was struck by another vessel, and quickly sank. The accident happened at about 8:30 p.m. local time, when a boat carrying more than 120 people collided with a passenger ferry coming the other way and quickly sank off the coast of Lamma Island, one of the largest of Hong Kong’s many outlying islands.
Local news media reported that the ferry was on its way to a big fireworks display in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor to celebrate China’s National Day. As of Tuesday morning, 36 people were confirmed to have been killed, and 9 of the more than 100 people who were hospitalized had serious injuries or were in critical condition, according to a statement from the Hong Kong government.
As of Tuesday morning, 36 people were confirmed to have died in the accident, and 9 of the more than 100 people who were hospitalized had sustained serious injuries or were in critical condition, according to a government statement. Rescue operations were continuing Tuesday and the Hong Kong fire department said it could not rule out the possibility that there were still people inside the vessel or missing. Low visibility and obstacles on board were hampering the rescue effort.
Rescue operations continued Tuesday morning, and the Hong Kong fire department said it could not rule out that there were still people inside the vessel or missing. Low visibility and many obstacles on board were hampering the rescue efforts. The Hong Kong government on Tuesday convened a top-level interdepartmental meeting on the accident and pledged a thorough investigation.
Photos from the site showed the ferry half submerged, with its bow pointing nearly straight up, off Lamma Island. One of the largest of Hong Kong’s many islands, Lamma is connected to Hong Kong by regular ferry services that take about 30 minutes each way. The collision involved a vessel belonging to Hong Kong Electric, which operates a power station on Lamma Island and is part of the billionaire Li Ka-shing’s sprawling business empire. Named the Lamma IV, the boat had been taking staff members and their families to see a fireworks display in Victoria Harbor to celebrate China’s National Day – for many, the highlight of a four-day holiday weekend in the city.
Hong Kong has generally good maritime standards, but the waters off this Asian financial and trading hub are very busy, thanks in large part to cargo traffic to and from Hong Kong and the Chinese ports in the nearby Pearl River Delta, which are some of the busiest in the world. The Lamma IV, which according to Hong Kong Electric was built to carry 200 passengers, sank quickly after colliding with a ferry operated by Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry, which runs regular services between Lamma and Hong Kong Island. The Hong Kong & Kowloon vessel sustained some damage but no one on board was seriously hurt.
  Witnesses said the Lamma IV sank rapidly, trapping passengers inside. “Within 10 minutes, the ship had sunk. We had to wait at least 20 minutes before we were rescued,” Reuters quoted one survivor as saying.
  The collision triggered a search and rescue operation involving divers, helicopters and numerous police and marine department vessels that picked scores of survivors from the sea Monday night.
Photos taken Monday night showed the boat half-submerged, its bow pointing nearly straight up, not far from one of the two ferry piers on Lamma.
Connected to Hong Kong Island by regular, half-hour-long ferry services, Lamma is home to about 6,000 people, many of them expatriates. Its relaxed atmosphere, scenery and seafood restaurants make it a popular tourist destination.
“I am very shocked. This was supposed to be a happy day to see the fireworks,” said Anita Yu, who was on her way to Lamma with friends on Tuesday. “I am from Hong Kong and I have never heard of anything like this happening here.”
Still, there appeared to be no sense of general unease about the ferry services, which were running normally Tuesday. Many people were milling around at the ferry piers on Hong Kong Island, home to the city’s financial center, soaking in the holiday atmosphere.
Asked whether the disaster had made her afraid to take the ferry, Ms. Yu replied that she had faith in the safety of the boats.
Fatal ferry accidents are common in developing Asian countries, where infrastructure development often has not kept pace with population growth and increased demand for travel. At least 117 people died when a ferry capsized in Bangladesh in March, and scores were killed in a similar incident in India in May.
In Hong Kong, however, where infrastructure and weather-warning systems are highly developed, such disasters are extremely rare. A severe typhoon caused a ferry to capsize in 1971, killing 88 people. The city’s last major disaster on land occurred on New Year’s Eve of 1992, when 20 people were killed in a stampede in Lan Kwai Fong, a busy bar area in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district.
Hong Kong’s maritime safety standards are generally high and accidents rare, despite the fact that the waters surrounding the Asian financial and trading hub are often busy with commercial shipping traffic from regional and transcontinental cargo lines. Hong Kong’s port and nearby mainland Chinese ports in the Pearl River Delta rank among the busiest in the world. Numerous passenger ferries, private leisure boats and fishing vessels add to the traffic.

Joyce Lau contributed reporting.