THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985
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MARINE DEPARTMENT COMPLETES FIRE INVESTIGATION
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A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ADVISED THIS AFTERNOON THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD COMPLETED AN INVESTIGATION INTO A FIRE ON BOARD A NUMBER OF DANGEROUS GOODS LIGHTERS, WHICH OCCURRED IN THE WESTERN DANGEROUS GOODS ANCHORAGE ON DECEMBER 5, 1984.
ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, A TOTAL OF 10 CRAFT CARRYING DANGEROUS GOODS WERE ANCHORED IN THE WESTERN DANGEROUS GOODS ANCHORAGE.
ONE OF THE VESSELS THE +TS IN TSUN 300+ ARRIVED IN HONG KONG FROM TAIPING, CHINA ON DECEMBER 5, 1984, LADEN WITH 8 194 CARTONS OF FIREWORKS, HAVING A DECLARED TOTAL POWDER WEIGHT OF 603 KILOGRAMS. ANOTHER VESSEL, THE +YUET KONG 365+ ARRIVED IN HONG KONG FROM CANTON, ON DECEMBER 4, 1984, LADEN WITH 11 000 CARTONS OF FIREWORKS, HAVING A DECLARED TOTAL POWDER WEIGHT OF 1 067 KILOGRAMS.
BOTH VESSELS IN QUESTION WERE SECURED ALONGSIDE EIGHT LOCALLY LICENSED LIGHTERS IN THE WESTERN DANGEROUS GOODS ANCHORAGE, WHICH WERE ENGAGED IN THE HANDLING OF CARTONS OF FIREWORKS FOR TRANSHIPMENT THROUGH HONG KONG.
AT 0845 HOURS ON DECEMBER 5, 1984, A TOTAL OF TEN VESSELS WERE MOORED TOGETHER IN A TIGHT CLUSTER IN THE WESTERN DANGEROUS GOODS ANCHORAGE, IN A POSITION APPROXIMATELY 200 METRES DUE SOUTH OF HARBOUR MOORING BUOY A16.
THE TWO CHINESE ONE VESSEL, +WAI MOON NO. 7+ WAS AT ANCHOR. VESSELS +TS IN TSUN 300+ AND +YUET KONG 365+, CARRYING CARTONS OF FIREWORKS FOR TRANSHIPMENT, WERE SECURED ALONGSIDE +WAI MOON NO. 7+, ON THE PORT AND STARBOARD SIDE RESPECTIVELY.
A ROW OF FOUR DUMB STEEL LIGHTERS (WAI MOON NOS. 2, 3, 6 AND 8) WERE MOORED CLOSE ASTERN OF WAT MOON NO. 7. WAI MOON NOS. 2 AND 3 WERE EACH SECURED TO WAI MOON NO. 7 BY NYLON ROPES.
A FURTHER ROW OF THREE DUMB STEEL LIGHTERS (WAI MOON NOS. AND 5 AND TAK WAH) WERE EACH SECURED CLOSE ASTERN OF WAI MOON NOS. 2 AND 3, BY NYLON ROPES.
ADJACENT LIGHTERS IN BOTH ROWS WERE SECURED TO EACH OTHER BY NYLON ROPES, FORWARD AND AFT, AND ALL VESSELS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WAI MOON NO. 6, WERE MOORED WITH THE FORWARD END FACING IN A NORTHWESTERLY DİRECTION,
INSOMUCH AS TRANSHIPMENT OPERATIONS WERE IN OPERATION AT THE TIME OF THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRE, IN ADDITION TO WHICH RECORDS OF THE DISPOSITION AND QUANTITIES OF CARGO ON BOARD EACH OF THE SEVEN DUMB STEEL LIGHTERS WERE DESTROYED IN THE FIRE,
IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO ASCERTAIN DEFINITIVELY THE DISPOSITION OF CARGO.
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/HOWEVER, OBSERVATION