Evidence of further lapses in safety practices emerged on Monday, as the public inquiry into the Oct 1 sinking of the vessel Lamma IV resumed.

Thirty-nine people died in the collision, off Lamma island, when the Lamma IV, on its way to Victoria Harbor to view the National Day fireworks display, was fatally holed by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry vessel, Sea Smooth.

Cheng Muk-kee, the captain of the Lamma II, a sister vessel of the Lamma IV, told the inquiry that he received no briefing concerning marine traffic and safety arrangements set out by the Marine Department for the National Day fireworks display. The Lamma II was traveling with the Lamma IV and was one of the first vessels to provide assistance to the stricken ship. Hongkong Electric Company (HK Electric), which owned both the Lamma II and Lamma IV, was not invited to the Marine Department safety briefing. Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Holdings Limited, which owns and operates the Sea Smooth, was invited to the briefing but failed to attend.

Testifying at the hearing on Monday, the 54-year-old skipper of Lamma II Cheng said he received no notice or orders requiring him to follow guidelines set out by the department, before the vessel set sail on the night of Oct 1.

Those guidelines included informing all passengers on board of the location of life jackets and providing instructions on how to use them. The regulations also required that all children aboard wear life jackets throughout the journey.

Apart from the safety measures to operators of the vessels, the advisory also stipulated closed and restricted areas as well as special marine traffic control measures for the event.

Senior Marine Officer Ivan Shuen Chi-kueng, who was in charge of marine traffic control operation in Victoria Habour during the National Day fireworks display, said the department had sent the safety guidelines to HK Electric prior to the Oct 1 event.

During the preliminary preparations for the fireworks display, the department held a meeting on traffic and transport arrangements in August, to which HK Electric was not invited. When asked why it was not invited, Shuen said that the department is considering inviting companies such as HK Electric, which own and operate vessels, to the department's future meetings on similar occasions.

Cheng, who is an employee of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, had been contracted to captain the Lamma II "on and off" in recent years. "We were very passive, because we were seconded to Hongkong Electric and no documents were given to us, and there was nothing we could do," said Cheng.

Cheng added that he didn't know the itinerary of the tour or which vessel he would be piloting when he was asked on Sept 30 by his employer to pilot a vessel for Hongkong Electric.

Cheng said he learned the guidelines based on his previous experience, when similar notice issued by the department was shown to him by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry during similar shows.

Though the department sent out 20 vessels and 78 marine officers to conduct inspections during the fireworks display, the inspections were mainly involved with violations such as overloading, speeding and illegal boarding.

Shuen said those guidelines are advisories, thus the department didn't push implementation of them.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 01/08/2013 page1)