HONG KONG - At least 37 people have been killed in a ferry collision in Hong Kong, prompting the territory's chief executive to announce an inquiry into the incident.
The collision on Monday evening took place off Lamma Island, which lies about a mile south-west of Hong Kong.
One
of the ferries, used by Hong Kong Electric, had 124 people on board as
it carried them towards Hong Kong where they were due to watch the
National Day fireworks in Victoria harbour.
The other ferry, owned by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry (HKKF), was returning with passengers from Hong Kong Island.
Five children were among the dead. More than 100 people were taken to
hospital, with nine suffering serious injuries or in critical condition,
the government said in a statement.
The collision sparked a major rescue involving dive teams, helicopters
and boats that saw scores plucked from the sea. A large crane on a barge
was connected to the stricken boat.
The tragedy was the worst to hit Hong Kong since 1996 when more than 40 people died in a fire in a commercial building.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong police arrested six crew after a ferry and a company boat
carrying more than 120 staff and family celebrating the mid-autumn
festival collided, killing 37 people as the boat sank. The arrests involved crew of both vessels.
Source: The Guardian, The Herald 
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