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Hong Kong Ferry Captain Sentenced to 8 Years in Deadly Collision Hong Kong Ferry Captain Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Deadly Collision
(about 3 hours later)
HONG KONG — The captain of a ferry involved in Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime accident in more than four decades was found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter Monday and sentenced to eight years in prison. HONG KONG — The captain of a ferry involved in Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime accident in more than four decades was sentenced on Monday to eight years in prison after being found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter.
Lai Sai-ming was captain of the passenger ferry Sea Smooth when it collided with a passenger boat owned by an electric power company on Oct. 1, 2012. The accident killed 39 people, all on the other boat, the Lamma IV. Chow Chi-wai, the captain of that vessel, was acquitted Saturday of manslaughter in a jury trial but found guilty of the lesser charge of endangering the safety of others at sea. Mr. Chow was sentenced to nine months in prison on Monday, The Associated Press reported. Lai Sai-ming was captain of the passenger ferry Sea Smooth when it collided with a passenger boat owned by an electric power company on Oct. 1, 2012. He was convicted on Saturday.
The accident killed 39 people, all passengers on the other boat, the Lamma IV. Chow Chi-wai, the captain of that vessel, was acquitted on Saturday of manslaughter in a jury trial but found guilty of the lesser charge of endangering the safety of others at sea. Mr. Chow was sentenced on Monday to nine months in prison, The Associated Press reported.
The Lamma IV quickly sank after it was struck by the Sea Smooth just off the coast of Lamma Island, one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. The Lamma IV was shuttling power plant employees and their families to the Central district of Hong Kong to see the Chinese National Day fireworks. It was the deadliest maritime disaster in Hong Kong since 1971.The Lamma IV quickly sank after it was struck by the Sea Smooth just off the coast of Lamma Island, one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. The Lamma IV was shuttling power plant employees and their families to the Central district of Hong Kong to see the Chinese National Day fireworks. It was the deadliest maritime disaster in Hong Kong since 1971.
In sentencing arguments, Mr. Chow’s lawyer, Gerard McCoy, argued that the collision was due to the “appallingly dangerous navigation of the Sea Smooth,” The South China Morning Post reported. The Sea Smooth went against international conventions on avoiding collisions at sea by turning to port, or to the left, instead of starboard, or to the right.In sentencing arguments, Mr. Chow’s lawyer, Gerard McCoy, argued that the collision was due to the “appallingly dangerous navigation of the Sea Smooth,” The South China Morning Post reported. The Sea Smooth went against international conventions on avoiding collisions at sea by turning to port, or to the left, instead of starboard, or to the right.