Six crew members from the two boats that crashed were arrested this morning after more than 100 people were hospitalised following the dramatic accident last night.
Bodies were pulled from the pitch black water after one of the boats – carrying 120 workmates and their families to a holiday firework display in Hong Kong harbour – sank off Lamma island, two miles from Hong Kong island.
Concerns: Rescuers check on the half submerged Hong Kong Electric boat after Lamma IV after the shocking crash last night
Upturned: At least 36 people were killed after this ferry collided with another off Hong Kong. British officials fear that UK citizens may be among the dead
A major rescue operation took place overnight, with terrified survivors from the sunken vessel struggling to the surface of the water.
This morning, distraught and sobbing relatives of the dead visited the scene, where they tossed paper money into the sea.
The ritual is based on a Chinese tradition of furnishing the dead with ready currency for their arrival on the other side. The deceased are often provided with passports for their journey.
Three crew members of the sunken HongKong Electric pleasure craft, where all the fatalities occurred, have now been detained, along with three from the regular ferry vessel that collided with it.
'Police arrested six individuals this afternoon... They are being investigated for endangering people's lives at sea,' Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok told a press conference a day after the collision.
Police chief Tsang Wai-hung said the suspects were responsible for the boats' operation. 'We don't rule out more arrests,' he added.
Searchlights swept across the water after the crash at 8.30pm last night as dive teams, helicopters and boats desperately tried to locate the survivors.
Survivors said they had little time to put on life jackets before the ferry flooded, trapping passengers.
'Within 10 minutes, the ship had sunk. We had to wait at least 20 minutes before we were rescued,' said one male survivor, wrapped in a blanket on the shore.
Some survivors said people had to break windows to swim to the surface. 'We thought we were going to die. Everyone was trapped inside,' said a middle-aged woman.
One woman told local television that she swallowed a lot of water as she swam back to shore.
Another man said he didn't know where his children were. Neither gave their names.
Many Hong Kong residents hold British national overseas passports, but the former colony is also popular among UK tourists. The British consulate in Hong Kong has been closed for the holiday and did not immediately comment.
The Fire Services Department said today that 123 people had been rescued from the sunken vessel.
Twenty-eight people were declared dead at the scene. Eight others died by the time they reached hospitals.
‘Over 100 people were sent to five hospitals during the incident,’ said a Fire Services spokesman. ‘Nine of them have sustained serious injuries or are in critical condition.’
The rescue operation was hampered by the darkness, clutter in the vessel and by many obstacles that had broken free from the sunken ship.
This morning, the boat, which was half-submerged with its bow pointing almost straight up, was lifted out of the sea by a crane.
This morning, teams of men in white coats, green rubber gloves and yellow helmets carried corpses off a police launch in body bags.
This morning, distraught and sobbing relatives of the dead visited the scene, where they tossed paper money into the sea.
The ritual is based on a Chinese tradition of furnishing the dead with ready currency for their arrival on the other side. The deceased are often provided with passports for their journey.
Three crew members of the sunken HongKong Electric pleasure craft, where all the fatalities occurred, have now been detained, along with three from the regular ferry vessel that collided with it.
'Police arrested six individuals this afternoon... They are being investigated for endangering people's lives at sea,' Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok told a press conference a day after the collision.
Police chief Tsang Wai-hung said the suspects were responsible for the boats' operation. 'We don't rule out more arrests,' he added.
Searchlights swept across the water after the crash at 8.30pm last night as dive teams, helicopters and boats desperately tried to locate the survivors.
Survivors said they had little time to put on life jackets before the ferry flooded, trapping passengers.
'Within 10 minutes, the ship had sunk. We had to wait at least 20 minutes before we were rescued,' said one male survivor, wrapped in a blanket on the shore.
Some survivors said people had to break windows to swim to the surface. 'We thought we were going to die. Everyone was trapped inside,' said a middle-aged woman.
One woman told local television that she swallowed a lot of water as she swam back to shore.
Another man said he didn't know where his children were. Neither gave their names.
Many Hong Kong residents hold British national overseas passports, but the former colony is also popular among UK tourists. The British consulate in Hong Kong has been closed for the holiday and did not immediately comment.
The Fire Services Department said today that 123 people had been rescued from the sunken vessel.
Twenty-eight people were declared dead at the scene. Eight others died by the time they reached hospitals.
‘Over 100 people were sent to five hospitals during the incident,’ said a Fire Services spokesman. ‘Nine of them have sustained serious injuries or are in critical condition.’
The rescue operation was hampered by the darkness, clutter in the vessel and by many obstacles that had broken free from the sunken ship.
This morning, the boat, which was half-submerged with its bow pointing almost straight up, was lifted out of the sea by a crane.
This morning, teams of men in white coats, green rubber gloves and yellow helmets carried corpses off a police launch in body bags.
A local television network said that children were among the dead.
