A child plays on a beach near the Lamma IV at Nga Kau Wan, Lamma Island. Government inspectors are examining the vessel. Photo: Edward Wong
Top picks
![The Philippine coastguard filmed the Chinese use of a water cannon against one of its ships. Photo: AP](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="76" height="47"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
A child plays on a beach near the Lamma IV at Nga Kau Wan, Lamma Island. Government inspectors are examining the vessel. Photo: Edward Wong
Survivors of the Lamma ferry disaster are gradually recovering from their injuries and distress, Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said on Friday.
Thirteen of about 100 people who were injured in the collision off Lamma Island on Monday evening remained in hospital on Friday. They included a nine-year-old girl in critical condition.
After visiting five of the injured and their family members at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ko said their condition was improving.
“The patients are recovering from their injuries… Also, some of the patients and their family members are less distressed than they were when I last visited them,” he said.
On Friday Hong Kong entered the second of three days’ mourning for the 38 people killed in the tragedy. Flags flew at half mast on government buildings while local media coloured their logos in black to pay tribute to the victims.
The collision between the Lamma IV and the Sea Smooth was the city’s worst maritime accident in decades. The Lamma IV, carrying more than 120 passengers on their way to watch National Day fireworks, sank quickly after the crash.
The wrecked vessel has been towed into shallow water to allow government inspectors to examine it for clues as to how the collision occurred. The investigation could take six months, officials say.
According to the Post-Crisis Counselling Network, dozens of people at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder have been counselled in the wake of the tragedy. They include survivors, rescuers and ordinary citizens.
Also on Friday, St Stephen’s Preparatory School in Stanley held a prayer for Primary Two pupil Nicholas Chi-ho Belshaw, who died in the collision, during a weekly assembly. The pupils read out the messages they had written on condolence cards earlier in the week.
Deputy principal Gordon Wong Sing-tung said some of the condolence cards will be given to Nicholas’ family. The seven-year-old has been mentioned in the Christian school’s daily morning prayers for the past two days.
Wong said Nicholas, a British-Chinese, loved football, tennis and chess. His mother, Wendy Ie Hwie, also perished in the disaster while his sister, Emma Belshaw, survived.
The Philippine coastguard filmed the Chinese use of a water cannon against one of its ships. Photo: AP
South China Sea: Beijing tells Philippines to remove grounded warship from disputed reef after latest clash in long-running territorial dispute
- The Chinese coastguard defends its ‘restrained’ reaction after water cannons were fired at Philippine ships supplying marines in the Spratly Islands
- Manila calls the actions ‘illegal’ and ‘offensive’ and summons the Chinese ambassador to protest
Top picks
The Philippine coastguard filmed the Chinese use of a water cannon against one of its ships. Photo: AP
Beijing has urged Manila to remove an “illegally” grounded warship from a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands after an incident over the weekend in which Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannons at vessels supplying troops stationed there.
While Beijing defended the coastguard’s actions as “professional and restrained” on Monday, the Philippine government summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest about the incident on the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
The disputed reef – also known as the Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines or Renai Shoal in China – has been occupied by the Philippines since 1999 when a second world war-era warship was run aground on the atoll to assert Manila’s claims over the area.
Philippine ships regularly bring supplies to marines stationed on the vessel and last weekend’s incident was the first time Chinese coastguard have used water cannon against such supply missions since November 2021.
In another incident in February, the Philippines accused a Chinese ship of making “dangerous manoeuvres” and targeting one of its coastguard ships with a military-grade laser.
On Monday the Chinese coastguard said it had blocked the Philippine ships “in accordance with the law and took cautionary enforcement measures” and its actions were “professional and restrained, beyond reproach”.
A spokesman added: “In the event of repeated warnings being ineffective, in order to avoid collisions caused by direct blocking, water cannons were used as a warning.”
It also claimed the Philippine ships “disregarded China’s repeated dissuasion and warnings and attempted to transfer construction materials used for maintaining and repairing the ship, which has been grounded on the shoal illegally”.
The coastguard also said the Philippines had repeatedly promised to remove the vessel and had “refused to respond” to requests for talks to manage the dispute.
“The Chinese side urges the Philippines to tow away the grounded warship from the Renai Reef and restore the Renai Reef to its original state,” the spokesman added.
02:13
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at its vessels in disputed waters
The incident reignited the long-running territorial dispute between the two countries in waters where Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also have competing claims.
On Sunday the Philippines said the use of water cannons was “illegal”, “excessive and offensive”, adding that the Chinese coastguard had “not only disregarded the safety of the Philippine coastguard crew and the supply boats but also violated international law”.
The following day President Ferdinand Marcos said Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo had summoned ambassador Huang Xilian and “gave him a note verbale including pictures [and] video” of the incident.
“We continue to assert our sovereignty. We continue to assert our territorial rights in the face of all of these challenges,” Marcos said, adding that Manila was waiting for a response.
National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya echoed his comments, stating: “For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal.”
The Philippine-occupied atoll is about 120km (74.5 miles) west of Palawan, home to one of four military bases that Manila recently granted access to the US military for joint training, equipment storage and for building facilities such as runways and accommodation.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris visited the island during a three-day tour of the Philippines in November, vowing that Washington would stay committed to its long-term ally “in the face of intimidation and coercion in the South China Sea”.
The Second Thomas Shoal is next to Mischief Reef, which has been under Beijing’s control since 1995 and now hosts a Chinese military base. When the first structures were built on the reef, Beijing said they were shelters for fishermen.
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="122" height="122"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)