At least 38 killed in Hong Kong's deadliest ferry accident in decades

At least 38 killed in Hong Kong's deadliest ferry accident in decades ong Kong authorities announced an investigation Tuesday into the collision of two passenger boats that killed at least 38 people in the territory's deadliest ferry accident in recent memory. The crash happened Monday evening, a night when Hong Kong's busy waters were even more crowded than usual, as the city celebrated China's National Day. Police said they have arrested six crew members from the vessels on suspicion of endangering passengers. Read more: Survivors recount chaos, horror of ferry collision Boats crash, dozens dead in Hong Kong Deadly ferry crash in Hong Kong Celebration turns tragic in Hong Kong Search and rescue efforts will continue for at least two more days as authorities look for missing passengers, authorities said Tuesday. They did not know exactly many are unaccounted for. One of the two vessels, owned by The Hong Kong Electric Company, was carrying company employees and their families to watch the scheduled fireworks display when it was struck by a passenger ferry traveling from Hong Kong Island to Lamma Island. Government officials said the collision occurred off Lamma's coast around 8:20 p.m., plunging more than 100 people into the water. Photos: Deadly Hong Kong ferry crash "I thought we'd hit a rock or a lighthouse," said Chris Head, a school teacher who was on the passenger ferry that crashed into the Hong Kong Electric vessel. He said the ferry went from what felt like full speed to "an abrupt halt." Head said the force of the impact threw him out of his seat at the back of the ferry, which was not very full of people. As the damaged ferry began to move toward the pier in the small town of Yung Shue Wan on Lamma, Head said he could see the other boat had started to sink into the water vertically, like the Titanic.