A court in Hong Kong recently issued a finding regarding a passenger vessel that had been involved in a maritime incident that left over 30 dead in 2012.
After convening 44 days of hearings and listening to testimonies from more than 80 people, the Hong Kong Coroner's Court ruled that the ferry Lamma IV had complied with safety standards that were in place at the time of its collision with the ferry 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 said that the decision of the builder of Lamma IV to 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 had 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. The omission of this door was initially believed to have contributed to the water ingress that caused people to be trapped on board the vessel as it sank following the collision.
The victims' families have expressed disappointment at the court's decision, insisting that the ill-fated ferry's design flaws are being overlooked as part of a broader cover-up.
The familiies told local media that they are now considering their next steps with regard to seeking accountability for the tragedy.