“COMPLACENT”
Architectural photographer Ryan Tsui, 49, described his 13-year advocacy as a “blood feud” he could not let go.
Tsui’s brother and niece boarded the Lamma IV on what happened to be the girl’s 10th birthday. Both were killed.
“When we played (as children), boys would rarely hug each other,” he said.
“The first time I hugged my brother was when I carried the urn of his ashes.”
Tsui said he followed the inquest with “incredulity” as one witness after another dodged responsibility for the missing watertight door, a fault traced back to the ship’s origin at a local shipyard.
“Every mistake that could be made was made, and each of the parties was complacent,” Tsui said, referring to testimony by shipyard directors, inspectors and mariners.
The flaw escaped attention despite government employees checking the Lamma IV dozens of times since it was licensed to sail in 1996.
“The government bears major responsibility,” Chiu said, after a visit to his sister’s grave.
“If the government doesn’t change its culture, it will always make these mistakes.”
The Marine Department told AFP it had amended marine safety laws and set up a dedicated team to “strictly review” vessel construction and modification.
After 2012, the average annual death toll in Hong Kong marine accidents fell from 7.6 to 3.3, though the average number of accidents per year stayed roughly the same.
The coroner is set to determine the cause of death at the future hearing, but has no authority to punish culprits.
Chiu suffered permanent damage to his hearing and struggled with claustrophobia for years, while Tsui said the ordeal robbed him of his adventurous personality and made him “a different person”.
Leung said Hong Kong leaders have yet to fulfil their vow of accountability and reform, which meant she had no faith that the city could avoid a repeat tragedy.
“Thirty-nine people have died and that cannot be undone,” she said.
“The coroner holding an inquest was very encouraging, but true relief comes from seeing a more robust Hong Kong.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/hong-kong-deadly-2012-ferry-disaster-survivors-families-seek-answers-5522086
