Crew escape as passenger ferry rams into terminal sea wall
No passengers on board Hong Kong to Nansha catamaran
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 15 April, 2014, 12:00pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 15 April, 2014, 5:37pm
Staff reporter
Part of the sea wall at the China Ferry Terminal was damaged. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Ten mainland crew members escaped injury when a passenger ferry slammed into the sea wall in Tsim Sha Tsui and mounted the shore early today.
The 42-metre mainland-registered Nansha No 38 catamaran, was trying to dock at Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal to pick up Panyu-bound passengers when the accident happened shortly before 8am.
There were no passengers on board at the time.
“We were told that due to a mechanical problem, the vessel failed to reverse, kept moving forward and then hit the sea wall,” a police officer said.
The impact damaged the concrete on top of the sea wall littering the Gateway Boulevard pavement with debris. The bow of the vessel also mounted the concrete barrier
Police had to close a section of Gateway Boulevard to traffic before the vessel was towed to a Tsing Yi shipyard.
The bow of the catamaran, which has a passenger capacity of 382, was slightly damaged, forcing it out of service for repair and inspection, according to the Marine Department.
A spokeswoman said the department was investigating the cause of the incident and the owner of the vessel had been asked to submit a report.
She said the operation of the ferry terminal was not affected by the incident.
In 2005, the Nansha No 38 collided with a cargo vessel off Tsing Yi, injuring 104 people.
Separately, two men were rescued when their 19 metre-long yacht started to take in water and list off Lamma Island at about 11.15am.
The incident happened when the yacht was on the way to Discovery Bay from Aberdeen, according to Marine Department.
“One of the crew fell into the sea when the boat was listing in East Lamma Channel,” the spokeswoman said.
She said the two men were picked up by a passing pilot boat and were unhurt.
The spokeswoman said the boat was towed away from the busy fairway and capsized near the Ap Lei Chau shore. The owner of the boat has been asked to arrange salvage.
