Photo essay: a Hong Kong pleasure craft sinks on China’s birthday

A deadly collision between two passenger boats in Hong Kong has raised questions about safety in the port city that is one of Asia’s main transport hubs. A ferry and a smaller boat carrying families and workers of a utility company crashed along the coast of Hong Kong Island on Oct. 1, killing at least 37 people and injuring dozens of others. Thousands of commuters take ferries every day to travel between the city’s main islands. “Pleasure boating” (pdf) or short cruises are also increasingly common in Hong Kong and China. The revelers on the evening of Oct. 1 were preparing to watch fireworks for China’s National Day and the mid-autumn festival, a Chinese holiday.