A director of a ship company has been accused of lying in a court inquest about a structural flaw that caused a ferry it built to sink in Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disaster in decades.
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The Coroner’s Court on Thursday heard oral closing submissions in what could be the last formal inquiry into the ferry collision on October 1, 2012.
The Lamma IV was hit by the Sea Smooth catamaran in the waters off Lamma Island while carrying 124 HK Electric employees and their relatives to watch National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour.
The Lamma Island-bound Sea Smooth, operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, was able to continue its journey to Yung Shue Wan Pier, but the Lamma IV sank in less than two minutes, leading to 39 deaths.
Lawyers for the relatives of the deceased alleged that Ken Lo Ngok-yang, a director of Cheoy Lee Shipyards, which built the Lamma IV, tried to cover up the company’s mistake of opening a hatch on a supposedly watertight bulkhead between two underdeck rooms without installing a door.
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Jeffrey Tam Chun-kit, speaking for the next of kin, highlighted marine experts’ unanimous opinion that the ferry was likely to have remained afloat indefinitely or for at least several hours had a watertight door been installed, allowing more than enough time to rescue everyone on board.