The families of some of the people who died in a passenger vessel accident in Hong Kong waters in 2012 have called for a judicial review of the coroner's findings in the wake of the tragedy.
The families claimed that there was irrationality in the findings that were gleaned from a 44-day coroner's inquest into the collision between the ferries Lamma IV (pictured) and Sea Smooth near Lamma Island on October 1, 2012.
Lamma IV sank within minutes following the collision. Thirty of the ferry's 124 occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene, eight others were later declared dead on arrival in hospital, and another individual expired while undergoing treatment.
Coroner Monica Chow Wai-cho had said that the decision of the builder of Lamma IV to deliberately omit a watertight door was a rational one instead of merely being an oversight, though she stated that the deaths that resulted from the incident were "unlawful."
Court documents earlier revealed that a director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards, which built Lamma IV, decided to incorporate a hatch between the ferry's two stern compartments but without a watertight door.
Four individuals have submitted an appeal to the Hong Kong High Court requesting that the coroner's findings regarding the missing watertight door be quashed.
The appellants, citing the opinion of marine experts, have argued that the omission of the said door contributed to the rapid water ingress that caused people to be trapped on board the vessel as it sank following the collision.
The four individuals, who submitted their appeal to the High Court without the aid of lawyers, are also requesting that a new inquest be conducted into the absence of the watertight door.