Hong Kong court jails tanker captain over deadly fishing boat collision

A Hong Kong court has handed a 14-month prison sentence to the master of an oil tanker after a deadly collision with a local fishing vessel, once again drawing attention to navigational safety failures in busy coastal waters. Details of the case were reported by The Maritime Telegraph.

 

The accident occurred in November 2024 as a mainland-registered tanker was transiting Hong Kong waters on a fuel voyage to Huizhou. At the same time, a fishing boat was heading toward the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter. The tanker struck the smaller vessel, causing it to sink and throwing all seven people on board into the sea. Six crew members were rescued, while the fishing vessel’s captain was later found dead after going missing.

 

Evidence presented in court showed that the tanker entered the area at around 4 a.m. Radar data and visual observation confirmed the presence of the fishing vessel on a converging course. The tanker captain acknowledged seeing a red navigation light on his starboard side but failed to properly assess the situation or confirm whether the fishing boat was manned on deck.

 

The court heard that the captain attempted to alert the fishing vessel using a laser pointer and only tried to reverse engines when the distance between the two ships had narrowed to approximately 50 metres. The tanker did not slow down in time, leaving no effective opportunity to avoid impact. Following the collision, the tanker crew raised the alarm and took part in rescue operations.

 

Investigators later identified multiple breaches of safe navigation rules, including inadequate lookout and delayed speed reduction. The court concluded that these shortcomings played a decisive role in the fatal outcome, reinforcing the legal responsibility of masters to act early and decisively to prevent collisions at sea.

 

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