Hong Kong Coroner’s Court will not investigate Lamma ferry disaster, families of victims told
- Relatives notified by the court on Saturday that it will not open an inquest into crash, which left 39 dead in 2012
- Democratic Party’s James To, who is helping the families, says information was a ‘bolt out of the blue’ for them
Relatives of the victims of the tragedy, in which 39 people died after a collision between two vessels, were notified by the court on Saturday that it would not open an inquest, said Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun, who has been assisting the families.
“It was like a bolt from the blue for the family members after they had learned the information,” To said, adding that he also was surprised at the coroner’s decision.
“As the Lamma ferry crash was an unprecedented marine accident in Hong Kong … an inquest should be opened to give family members and the public the truth.”
In a reply to the Post on Saturday night, the judiciary said the coroner had explained in his letters to the family members concerned the reasons for not holding a death inquest. The judiciary had no further comment.
Thirty-one adults and eight children died after HK Electric’s Lamma IV vessel, which was taking 124 passengers to view a National Day fireworks display, collided with Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry’s Sea Smooth off Lamma Island on October 1, 2012.
