Ferry tragedy families in need of closure
More than 10 years have passed since the Lamma ferry disaster, which claimed 39 lives. But the relatives of victims are still seeking closure. Their bid for an inquest into the tragedy, Hong Kong’s worst maritime accident for decades, ended in failure last week. A judge held that the circumstances and cause had already been established by a commission of inquiry in 2013 and subsequent criminal proceedings. Mr Justice Russell Coleman said the public interest did not require the holding of an inquest to establish further details.
Disaster struck when two vessels collided in Victoria Harbour on October 1, 2012. The Lamma IV, carrying passengers to watch the National Day fireworks, sank quickly. The public inquiry called 113 witnesses, took 50 days and made 13 recommendations. It found a litany of errors committed at almost every stage of the ferry’s design, construction, and approval to sail. Criminal proceedings resulted in jail terms for the two captains of the vessels, a ship inspector and an assistant director of the Marine Department.
But the families were not represented at the public inquiry. They believed there would be an inquest. A police report in 2015 recommended an inquest, given the serious nature and sensitivity of the accident. A coroner, however, decided this was not necessary. Relatives naturally want to know everything possible about the circumstances in which their loved ones died, and they believe an inquest would allow new evidence to shed more light. Now, they are considering whether to appeal against the latest decision.
Officials could help. The government held its own internal inquiry, finding 17 Marine Department officers guilty of misconduct, in 2014. But the report has still not been published in full. Last year, then-chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor cited privacy concerns for not releasing the report. Privacy is important, but transparency, accountability and justice for the families must also be considered. If the government is still not prepared to release the report, it should at least reach out to the families and be more inclusive about its findings. This would, after more than a decade, make it easier for the relatives to find the closure they deserve.