Nineteen missing, feared dead as two ships collide off Hong Kong

Nineteen missing, feared dead as two ships collide off Hong Kong
# 23 March 2008 08:58 (UTC +04:00)
Some crew was thrown into the water by the force of the collision while others are believed to have been trapped inside a cabin aboard one of the vessels, a marine police spokesman said.
The freighter sank after the collision, which took place near to a group of islands called The Brothers a few miles from the runway of Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau Island.
Thick fog had reduced visibility to as little as 700 meters at the time of the accident. Fireboats and a government helicopter joined in the search for survivors Sunday morning.
If the 19 missing are confirmed dead, the incident will count as the worst single marine accident in Hong Kong’s busy but closely regulated waters for decades.
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