What started out as a happy holiday trip to enjoy a national day fireworks display yesterday at Victoria Harbour turned out to be a tragic event as the pleasure boat collided with a passenger ferry and sank off Hong Kong near Lamma Island. A frantic overnight search and rescue operation ensued.
More than 120 passengers and crew were onboard the Hong Kong Electric company's vessel.
Passengers were thrown into the choppy water and the company vessel sank within minutes, leaving only its bow protruding from the waves.
36 have been reported dead and more than 100 hospitalized in five hospitals.
"Rescue action will continue as Fire Service Department (FSD) cannot rule out that there are still people inside the vessel or missing."
Rescue teams in boats and helicopters spent the night scouring the sea around the site of the accident for signs of survivors, while dive teams entered the sunken boat.
"The low visibility and many obstacles on board... made it difficult for rescue," the FSD said.
More: The Star..36 dead in Hong Kong ferry collision: official
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Hong Kong mourns victims of boat tragedy
This is very bad. Not the first time this happen :(
ReplyDeletemy friend message me early in the morning about this tragedy.. how sad, i vividly remember i was on the ferry to lamma island when i was in HK in june.. scary!!
ReplyDeleteNever expect this to happen in Hong Kong! What a tragedy!
ReplyDeleteNot surprised...now that Hongkong is part of China. Money is top priority, everything else is secondary...even human lives.
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