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SatoTomo

I just got this link to a web page by a Lammaite "with some photos about the ferry disaster", plus his story:

http://stephen-t.com/Lamma-Ferry-Disaster-2.html

It's about time to process, caption and publish some of my hundreds of ferry-related photos shot on that day and every day since, starting 10 hours before the accident, one of my personal ways of coping with the disaster....

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Submitted by Hans Andersen Club's Lamma Centre:

Memorial activity
Date: 7 Oct & 8 Oct
Time: 9am to 9pm
Venue: near the North Lamma Rural Committee office

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The search for witnesses by the worldwide media continues:

"I am a freelance TV producer who has been approached by the National Geographic Channel who are interested in making a half hour film about last week's Lamma ferry tragedy.
The film is meant to be a personal account that is told from the perspective of 3-4 people.
For instance a witness/participant on the Hong Kong Kowloon ferry, a survivor of the HK Electric Boat, a fisherman or other observer who watched from nearby.
There will be no commentary as such. Just the the words of the people who were there telling it how it was. This will not be an investigative account of the disaster, nor will it be a general overview of the events.
Are you aware of any people you know who we could approach who might want to feature in this film, production of which will begin shortly?"
--
Adrian Brown
Mobile 6162 2306
Email: abinternational09@gmail.com
Twitter: ajabrown
Skype: abinter09

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Report 15 years ago warned of dangers around Lamma

And new study says more casualties likely due to larger passenger vessels

A report 15 years ago warned of potential dangers at the location of Monday's ferry disaster, it was revealed last night.

The survey came to light as another unpublished report, completed before the Lamma tragedy, predicted more people would be injured or killed in Hong Kong waters as passenger-carrying vessels get bigger and faster.

The reports emerged at a time when the number of passenger-carrying vessels is expected to increase further when the Kai Tak cruise terminal comes into operation next year.

The 1997 report found that while there were "very few incidents" in and around the East and West Lamma channels, the area was home to "local situations that warrant attention".

It continued: "These include returning pleasure craft [vessels that carry up to 60 people] from either Lamma or Lantau Islands to Aberdeen Harbour tending to bunch just before sunset which may pose additional risk to vessels navigating the East Lamma Channel."

The recent unpublished report was by Yip Tsz-leung, associate director and co-founder of the CY Tung International Centre for Maritime Studies.

He said the trend for faster, bigger ferries meant that when an accident does happen, the force of the collision is stronger, causing more injuries and possibly death. He said: "There are fewer cargo ships in the harbour.

"On the other hand, we have more passenger ships which are more frequent, bigger and faster.

"More people may pass away as the impact of an accident will be very huge."

Yip said that accidents in the waters around Hong Kong - the second busiest port in terms of ship arrivals - had halved in the last 20 years ago and were on a consistent downward trend.

He said that because there were fewer accidents, people had become complacent and were less vigilant about safety measures, such as knowing where lifejackets were located.

A Marine Department spokeswoman said there was no "clear, upward trend" of more injuries or deaths in port traffic accidents. Since 2000, the average number of collisions per year was 195 and "barring a few more serious cases resulting in casualties, most of the collisions recorded were minor contacts".

The last time marine officials conducted a comprehensive study of traffic risk in Hong Kong waters was in 2004, when it commissioned a HK$2.5 million report that forecast a five per cent increase in incidents by last year.

The Marine Department said last night in a written reply: "The 1997 report was based on the planning framework at that time, including the Lantau Port, West Lamma Channel and Lamma Breakwater, which have not materialised after the report was completed.

"So it is not appropriate to comment on the information in the 1997 report which might have been overtaken by events."

Submitted by the Rural Committees:

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Just watched Diana Lin's TVBPearl Report that was a round up of footage and witness accounts. It's very fortunate that the video of Sea Smooth taken from inside the lower deck immediately after the collision showed calm and seemingly organized passengers assembled in life vests. Couldn't see any crew stationed on that deck in the video, but several familiar and stoic faces.

The footage they then showed on board New World Ferries Xing Chao boat asking random people to demonstrate how they would find and put on a life vest was appalling. The bags they are contained in are double knotted, the vest itself is triple tied, and which way round it goes was beyond all. I doubt anyone would achieve a successful donning of the vest in under 2 minutes especially of there was a unfolding and darkened / water situation. I'd hate to have to hear a 3 language broadcast before every trip of how to put a vest on, but perhaps it is high time HKKF / Tsui Wah dedicated a day to emergency procedures at least.

The interesting fact from the report in my opinion that I had not do far read or heard, was from a survivor of the Lamma IV that mentioned that when his family boarded the vessel, his daughter insisted after the boat left Lamma that they sit outside as "all the lights in the cabin were off" and she wanted to sit somewhere less dark... why would you sail with your lights off with 131 people on board?

The report concluded that the inquiry will take 6 months. In the meantime, there are many ways that individuals can make sure that they understand basics of evacuation and emergencies on all Lamma Ferries... as air crews say "we appreciate that you may have flown before, but each aircraft type is different, so please pay particular attention to your seat location and the emergency procedures for this vessel".

I also saw this report and it was absolute garbage - pure supposition with really Next-style cartoonish graphics and generally uninformed guesswork. Crap.

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Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

TVB Pearl Report last night, Mon, Oct 8:

http://mytv.tvb.com/news/pearlreport/135784#page-1

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New posters, in preparation for the all-day Taoist Condolences Ceremony on Saturday at the Library, starting at 10am.

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