17.
18.
19.
20.
CONFIDENTIAL
(b)
A report from the ship that there was a problem with dead rats on board was shown to be false when, in answer to a request that some corpses be passed to HMS Wasperton for laboratory testing, the Master said that there were none.
8th January, 1979
(2)
(b)
Rations for 5 more days were supplied by helicopter.
102 tons of water were pumped into the ship's tanks.
(c) 2 patients were returned to the ship from hospital.
9th January, 1979
(a) A relative of the man who died on 1st January was
taken ashore to formally identify the body.
(b) Medical supplies were delivered to the ship by
helicopter.
(c)
A woman was transferred to hospital, and a girl was returned from hospital to the ship.
10th January, 1979
(a)
(b)
(c)
A mother and her child were returned to the ship from hospital.
Weather reports indicated that a typhoon would affect the Philippines in 2/3 days time and that by then the weather would have deteriorated in Hong Kong.
The Panamanian Consulate reported to Marine Department that the "Huey Fong" had been de-registered on 5th January because it was engaged in illegal trade and carried insufficient life-saving appliances.
11th January, 1979
(a) A men and a woman were transferred to hospital from the ship. The woman gave birth to a son scon after
(b)
her arrival in PMH.
The representative of the UNHCR had a further meeting with the Master and refugee representatives on board HMS Beachampton. The refugees confirmed that they were compiling family lists and that this showed that there were about 3,400 people on board. Mr. Rasanayagam gave the refugces pro-formac to complete. The Master claimed that sea water used to clean the decks had seeped into the holds and made the ship unseaworthy. Subsequently, the Director of Marine overflew the ship and saw no evidence that it was not seaworthy. The meeting is described in more detail in Annex C.
CONFIDENTIAL