RTHK news:

Passenger injured in ferry collision

21-03-2012
Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry says it'll investigate a collision involving one of its ferries.

It said the vessel was about to berth at the pier in Central yesterday when it hit another one operated by First Ferry.

Passengers were getting on board the First ferry when the incident occurred, and some windows at the lower deck of the vessel were smashed.

A passenger was slightly injured.

Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry said it would try to find out if mechanical problems or human error had caused the incident, and then submit a report to the Marine Department.


Any eye witness accounts or even photos?
Post them here or email info@lamma.com.hk, please.

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Wow! Thanks for posting. So, the Lamma ferry swung too wide when pulling out?

Pulling in, sorry.

a ferry I was on around 3 years ago berthed at the Cheung Chao pier and had to reverse out back to Pier 4...

I've had two ferry incidents (so far).

One was on the Lamma ferry coming home when another large ferry was travelling in the same direction and we were converging at a shallow angle. Neither pilot wanted to give way and we touched lightly.

Another time I was on the star ferry and the pilot got it wrong.... we smashed into the quay and tyres were slammed onto the deck with a shower of splinters flying across the deck. It's a miracle that nobody was standing there at the time as they tryes are really heavy and would have really damaged someone.

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... Dave says

A real veteran of ferry accidents, it seems!

The first incident, when was that (last millennium, I assume?) and did it involve HKKF?

Trying to get a feel for the safety record of HKKF, after a few, low-key incidences over the last several years, some of them mentioned in this Lamma Ferries forum.

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I suppose that they might have been somewhere around 1994. I don't remember the ferry company name at that time.

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... Dave says

Finally, I got some feedback on my "media enquiry" about that ferry collision mentioned above, an empty HKKF ferry running into a stationary, docked NWFF ferry unloading passengers at Central Pier 5, Cheung Chau:

From HKKF's Public Relations Officer:

"The details of the incident dated 20th March 2012:

Location: Nearby the area of eastern berth of pier 5.

Vessels involved: HKKF- Sea Superior (no passengers); NWFF - First Ferry III.

Possible reason: After investigation, it is possible that the incident was caused by a sudden engine breakdown of Sea Superior.
As informed by NWFF, one passenger was slightly injured, but she did not go to hospital and took another ferry back to Cheung Chau with other passengers.
The relevant insurer had been reported for compensation."

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Was the same captain involved last night?

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Sabe 1

That should NEVER ever EVER EVER happen. I have seen similar (though no actual touching) happen a couple times departing out of Central.

The fact that these skippers have been allowed to get away with these incidents for so long is PRECISELY why we had the accident last nite.

IT NOT A VIDEO GAME! I have witnessed operators racing each other thru Victoria Harbor, one skipper trying to block the other from passing. It is absurd!

In the one year I have been here I have witnessed enough violations to put a company out of business in the Western world. The skippers and the governing body should be hung out to dry. There is just absolutely NO EXCUSES for the incidents that have been happening here over a long period of time.

A hotline for passengers and vessel operators to call in specific incidents should be implemented. There should be some individual responsibility for the way these vessels are operated.

Who thinking the accidend was only for captain mistake?
I have been lamma almost one year, I saw the HKKF ferry. Always dirty, always unsafe, always drug exchange area but nobody interested. Not only that, HKKF crew always not interested with anythink, Almost using defective ferries.

Especially smaall ferries, reaally really unsafe. Anybody want to esay anythink for thats?

HKKF ferry always carriying potato rubish. But we are human. I never understand that accident, the ferry also taking wrong route. But I following the news, nobody pay attention that. HKKF ferry can take wron route, but it is normal.

So right now, don't need to think about that? May be somethink disagree with HKKF or protest them? Not need?

Sea smooth has been replaced with a smaller ferry "sea strike":-/

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