Police Hunt For Boat Crew After Lamma Collision

Hong Kong police and the Fire Service Department said they are conducting searches in the waters off Lamma island after a fishing boat sank after colliding with an oil tanker on Tuesday morning.

But the officials have not released any details about the nationality of the missing fishermen or how many crew members are missing after the collision.

Fire fighting officials said their boats with divers are in the area, but as the sea is choppy and the area is vast, the operation is limited to surface searches along Hong Kong maritime border for the time being. The collision had happened outside the border.

Marine officials also said they are checking to find out if the fishing boat was a local one.

Thirteen people on the oil tanker – thought to be everyone on board – were found safe, a police spokeswoman said.

The oil tanker, named Tian Yi 5, was heading to Shenzhen from Qingdao.

The incident comes just two months after one man was killed and two declared missing when an oil tanker caught fire while it was being refuelled off Hong Kong.

But fears of a potential environmental catastrophe in the busy shipping channel were laid to rest after officials said no leak had been detected from the vessel. (Additional reporting by AFP)

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