In 2012, the Lamma shipwreck killed 39 people. The captains of the two ships involved were sentenced to prison for the crime of endangering the safety of others at sea. The former Assistant Director of the Marine Department Su Pingzhi and a former ship inspector were sentenced to prison for children’s life jackets.
The "Death Investigation Report" submitted to the coroner by the police in 2015 finally came to light, listing errors in design, shipbuilding, and ship surveying. However, the Department of Justice has stated last year that it will not prosecute any person or company for the incident. .
The internal report of the Transportation and Housing Bureau listing the misconduct of 17 Marine Department staff has never been made public, and the public is not even aware of how it will be pursued or whether it will be held accountable.
Although the police report finally came to light, there was no accountability for repeated mistakes, and multiple doubts about the shipwreck remained unsolved.
Lamma Shipwreck Police Report | More than 2000 pages of investigation documents revealed that the death court should be opened. Not to be public
39 people died in the Lamma shipwreck during the National Day fireworks in 2012.
(Profile picture)
The parties involved in the Lamma Shipwreck did not explain their doubts and responsibilities:
●Hong Kong Caili Shipyard: The mainland manufacturer’s documents indicate the need to install watertight doors; the staff says they have seen documents; the directors deny
●Singapore design company: directors and draftsmen blame each other for drawing watertight doors
●Maritime Department: Two civil servants improperly inspected life jackets Sentenced; improper inspection of plans but no one is responsible.
● Transportation and Housing Bureau: Report recommends 17 Maritime Department staff misbehavior, but no public list and sanctions
● Police: It is recommended to hold a coroner's inquiry
● Attorney General: No more prosecution for the incident, No public cause
●The Coroner's Court: Adopt the Attorney General's suggestion to not hold a coroner's inquiry
On October 1, 2012, "Lamma 4" carried 124 passengers on the way to the Victoria Harbour to enjoy the National Day fireworks when they were hit by the Hong Kong and Kowloon ferry "Hai Tai".
The lower two cabins of the "Lamma 4" were punctured and seawater poured in. In less than two minutes, the stern of the ship sank to the seabed.
The accident resulted in 39 deaths and 92 injuries. It was the worst ship collision accident in Hong Kong in the past 50 years.
▼The 5th Anniversary of the Lamma Shipwreck in 2017▼
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Two captains sentenced to prison for endangering the safety of others at sea
After the shipwreck, the ship crashed into the "Lamma 4" and the captain of the "Hai Tai", Li Ximing, was convicted in February 2015 of 39 manslaughter and one crime of endangering the safety of others at sea. He was sentenced to 8 prisoners. In 1991, the appeal commutation was rejected.
Zhou Zhiwei, the captain of the "Lamma 4", was also convicted of a crime of endangering the safety of others at sea in February 2015 and sentenced to 9 months in prison.
Assistant Director of Marine Department sentenced to imprisonment for failing to enforce the law requiring child life jackets
Of the 39 dead in the shipwreck, five were children. After the accident, "Lamma 4" was found to have no children's life jackets on board.
Su Pingzhi, then Assistant Director of the Marine Department, was later revealed. When he was the Chief Marine Surveyor from 2007 to 2013, he instructed his subordinates not to implement the new regulations requiring ships to be equipped with children's life jackets.
Su Pingzhi, then Assistant Director of the Maritime Department, was revealed that he had instructed his subordinates not to implement the new law requiring ships to be equipped with life jackets for children, and was convicted of misconduct by public officials.
(Information Picture/Photographed by Lu Yiming)
Su Pingzhi was found guilty of misconduct by a public official and was sentenced to 16 months in prison at the original trial. After Su Pingzhi served 4 and a half months in prison, his conviction appeal failed, but the appeal of the sentence was successful and he was released in court.
Wong Kam Ching, a former ship survey inspector of the Marine Department, gave evidence at the Lamma Shipwreck Inquiry, and was convicted of giving false evidence under oath and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment.
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Former Marine Department Inspector of Ships gave false testimony claiming to have seen children's life jackets
In addition, in 2013, Wong Kam Ching, the former ship inspection inspector of the Marine Department, gave testimony at the Lamma Shipwreck Inquiry, saying that in May 2012, when the Lamma 4 was inspected, he had seen children's life jackets on board.
Huang Jianqing was later accused of giving false testimony under oath. He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Huang later appealed, but it was rejected.
In 2015, the police submitted more than 2,000 pages of the "Lamma Shipwreck Death Investigation Report" to the coroner. There were 91 witnesses' confessions, and it was concluded that a coroner's inquiry should be held.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
The family members of the deceased in the Lamma shipwreck have requested the Coroner's Court to initiate a coroner's inquiry for many years. However, the Coroner's Court notified the family last year that according to the Department of Justice's recommendation, no coroner's inquiry will be held.
At the request of the family of the deceased, the 2,200-page investigation report submitted by the police to the Coroner's Court in 2015 was finally exposed.
The report stated that the water-entry cabin of the "Lamma 4" that was hit did not have a watertight door installed as shown in the picture, which caused it to sink quickly.
There are many contradictions in the plans, design, and ship survey of the watertight door, and many mistakes have been made in many links. The ship design company and its staff, as well as the staff of the Marine Department, were missing in the incident.
Although the report shows that mistakes in design, ship survey, and shipbuilding have all caused tragedies, the four people who have been prosecuted so far have nothing to do with these mistakes.
However, the Department of Justice also stated last year that it will not prosecute any person or company in connection with the incident.
▼The family members of the Lamma shipwrecked victims published an open letter on December 7▼
No one gave evidence for the accountability of the two Marine Departments for the survey of the ship. Director was promoted to Assistant Director
In other words, so far, there have been many suspicions that have failed to explain many mistakes in cabins and ship surveys, and no one has been held accountable.
The Transport and Housing Bureau has written the "Report of the Internal Investigation Team against the Marine Department", which lists 17 Marine Department staff misbehaving, including 4 retirees, and 2 of the 13 retirees are director-level officials; the report recommends Disciplinary procedures were initiated on 7 of them, and 6 were given a warning.
The entire internal report has 430 pages and 399 appendices. In April 2014, only 30 pages of abstract and 2 appendices were published. Some members of the Legislative Council have read it after signing a confidentiality agreement.
Cai Zhiquan and Liao Chaohui, then senior directors of surveys of the Marine Department, gave testimony in the investigation committee chaired by Judge Lun Minggao. The two have now been promoted to assistant directors, the second point of directorate salary, with a monthly salary of 179,000 to 196,000. .
On December 7, Chief Executive Carrie Lam responded to the issue of publicizing the police report of the Lamma Shipwreck. The internal investigation involved a lot of personal information. If a large amount of personal information is to be publicized, it has always been the view that it is not appropriate to disclose it.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Lamma Shipwreck Police Report | More than 2000 pages of investigation documents revealed that the death court should be opened. Not to be public
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