Inquiry reveals Hong Kong officials overlooked design flaw on ferry prior to deadly collision

Two officials of the Hong Kong Marine Department have admitted to not having noticed a design flaw on a passenger ferry that later became involved in a collision that killed more than 30 people in 2012.

The two officials made the admission in the Hong Kong Coroner's Court earlier this week as part of recently launched inquest proceedings into the October 1, 2012 collision between the ferries Lamma IV (pictured) and Sea Smooth near Lamma Island.

The collision on the said date caused Lamma IV to sink within minutes. 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.

The officials told the court that they had thought at the time that they were not required to look for issues whenever Lamma IV underwent periodic inspections.

The court had earlier examined evidence that the ferry was originally designed with six belowdeck compartments with a watertight bulkhead separating the tank room and the steering gear compartment at the stern.

It has since been revealed that a director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards, which built the ferry, decided to incorporate a hatch between the two stern compartments but without a watertight door. The omission of this door is said to have contributed to the water ingress that caused people to be trapped on board the vessel as it sank.

The long-delayed inquest into the tragedy is expected to last no more than 60 days.

Some survivors and the families of some of the victims had earlier called for a coroner's inquest, but this was rejected by the Hong Kong High Court in late 2022 on the basis of insufficient evidence that would warrant a deeper probe into the tragedy.

A High Court judge stated that a commission of inquiry report issued in 2013 had already identified the incident's "immediate cause" as well as the, "structural causes rooted in the design and equipment on board the vessel."

In early 2024, a group of lawyers representing the families of four of the victims told the High Court that additional police investigations have yielded new evidence warranting the inquest.

Following a closed-door review, during which the court examined reports as well as statements from 329 witnesses, the decision was made for the inquest to finally proceed.

As the inquest began earlier this month, the court heard recordings of some survivors of the tragedy telling investigators that Lamma IV's crew never advised them on escape routes or where the ferry's onboard lifesaving equipment could be found.

Other survivors said that Lamma IV increased speed just prior to the collision with the other vessel and that the crew apparently had not taken the necessary actions to prevent the crash from occurring.