Explainer | Can the shadow of the Lamma IV disaster at last be lifted? The Post looks at the implications of a High Court ruling in favour of an inquest 11 years after the ferry sinking claimed 39 lives
- A High Court ruling after a years-long fight that an inquest should be held into the maritime disaster is welcomed by campaigners
- They say a Coroner’s Court hearing might at last discover the full circumstances of the tragedy – and help prevent similar incidents in the future
An order by Hong Kong’s High Court on Wednesday to open a coroner’s inquest into one of the city’s worst maritime disasters is a breakthrough in an 11-year battle for justice by families of its victims.
One of the plaintiffs, Alice Leung Suk-ling, who lost her brother in the tragedy, said outside the High Court that the ruling made her “very emotional”.
“This is the only time I can smile in front of the camera after so many years,” she said. “I was very emotional inside the courtroom, this is the result of everyone’s hard work over the past 10 years.”
Here the Post explains why the shadow of the 2012 disaster still lingers.
1. What happened during the Lamma IV disaster?
The accident happened on China’s National Day in 2012, when the Lamma IV, with 124 passengers on board, was struck on the port side by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry vessel Sea Smooth.
