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There's a very well-written and honest blog story expressing the same feelings of disconnect from this tragedy, even though it happened so close to us:
Reflecting on the Resonance of Disaster

It's personal for me. I've known some wonderful people in HK Electric for a long time. Without their loyal support and encouragement in many ways, way beyond just being advertisers, this entire website would have closed down many years ago. Visiting the Power Station several times, even riding on one of their commuter ferries, same model as the sunken one, gave me an appreciation for all the demanding and professional work going on in there by the "HK Electric Family", where employees work for decades, often till retirement, securing the astounding 99.999% up-time of our power supply.

These are the people and their families who generate the electricity for our homes, the Power Station is so close and we see it every day, we encounter the workers all over Lamma frequently, walking through Main Street, in restaurants, biking from Power Station Beach to the ferry pier to and from work, driving on Power Station Road, installing cables and equipment, their red-shirted volunteers planting trees or cleaning up, staff showing up at and supporting many local events, sports and good causes, etc.

Yes, few of the 700 Power Station employees live here and none of the victims seems to have lived here, but they affect our life every day. I couldn't even type these words without their 24/7 work generating the power I rely on for my work and creature comforts.

All the almost non-stop coverage of every angle of the disaster on Chinese-language TV, much of it shot so close to our home and places I know and love, interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, sitting in Man Kee with a Sea Smooth passenger while he's shown being interviewed on TVB Jade on the TV above us, the media coverage magnifies the impact tremendously, of course.

The last time with a similar stunning emotional impact I remember was watching the 9/11 events unfold live in real time on CNN from the very beginning, being glued to the screen for hours, living in a high-rise on HK Island at the time. I didn't know any of the victims personally either, but watching those towers come down....

I've met HKKF's Nelson Ng, a low-key, modest, cheerful, very friendly family man numerous times at local events, even interviewing him for hours in his small office. Seeing him weeping solemnly for the loss of the 2 children of his relatives, during a TV interview, puts a face familiar to me on the so far anonymous, mostly unnamed victims.

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It seems as though everyone is eager to point fingers and look for someone to blame- particularly in regards to the crew of the HKKF. But if we take a step back I think we'll be reminded of the fact that most of the crew are far from maritime experts, but rather common joe's working long hours on low wages, just trying to hold down a job. While it does sound like they may not have handled the situation professionally, how many of these crew members can be considered truly and formally professional?

And let us not forget- it was us, Lamma residents, who were up in arms when the cost of the ferry went up a mere 2 dollars last year.

I agree with what you say about crew members not being sufficiently trained and paid.
I would also point out that the ferry service that day was under enormous strain: they laid out extra ferries to deal with the long queues of tourists. Ferries went to and from Lamma non-stop. A friend told me that it took her only 20 minutes to get back to Central that day, the ferry was going at full speed in order to make time for extra rides.
I feel sorry for the captain who had been working a 10-h long shift. Nobody, either bus or taxi driver, should work these crazy shifts. They are responsible not only for their safety but also for that of others.
HKFF should hire more crew members and ensure they work shorter shifts and get plenty of rest between ferry rides. The sight of a coxswain eating his meals in the wheelroom is scary.


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I just spoke to a WSJ reporter, Chen Te-Ping, who is trying to sort through these conflicting accounts of what happened and how the boats crashed. I think it's a much needed story, since the government clearly isn't in any rush to tell the public what they know.

She's interested in talking to anyone who saw the crash or was on one of the boats. Did they slow down or swerve? Did the Sea Smooth really stop for five minutes like SCMP is reporting now? Things like that, as opposed to the 'how do you feel' stuff.

Contact info:
+852 2831 2538
te-ping.chen at wsj dot com

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SatoTomo