Hong Kong set to receive long-awaited inquest verdict on 2012 Lamma ferry crash

The Coroner’s Court is expected to deliver a long-awaited verdict on Wednesday for an inquest into one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters, in which 39 residents died after a collision between two ferries near Lamma Island in 2012.After the government commissioned an inquiry into the causes of the tragedy later that year, families of victims decided to opt out, citing difficulties in securing legal representation and the expectation that an inquest would occur in the future.Initially, there was disappointment over the anticipated public scrutiny of those involved in the accident.In 2020, the Coroner’s Court determined that an inquest was unnecessary, given the substantial findings of the commission in 2013 and subsequent criminal proceedings.The long overdue inquest was finally held in May last year, after two relatives of victims convinced the Court of Appeal that it was in the public interest to conduct another probe into aspects not covered in previous hearings.One of the major points of contention during the 44-day court inquiry was identifying who was responsible for a critical flaw in the structure of the ferry that carried the 39 deceased.The Lamma IV was struck by the Sea Smooth catamaran while carrying 124 HK Electric employees and their relatives to watch National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour on October 1, 2012.