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Hong Kong Boat Collision: Crew Members Arrested

Seven crew from two passenger boats which collided off the coast of Hong Kong, killing 38 people, have been arrested.

The collision occurred near Lamma Island, off the southwestern coast of Hong Kong, near one of the city's busiest shipping lanes.

The larger vessel, which had been packed with 124 revellers, immediately began to sink which led to many of the passengers throwing themselves overboard.

Police Commissioner Tsang Wai-hung said six people had been detained on suspicion of endangering passengers by operating the craft unsafely.

"We expect further persons to be arrested," he added. A seventh individual was arrested shortly after his announcement.

Video shown on local television showed the boat half submerged with only the bow sticking out of the water.

More than 100 people were rescued and dozens taken to hospital. Emergency services are still searching for any survivors.

A paramedic at the Queen Mary Hospital said: "Some of them are suffering hypothermia and four had to be resuscitated."

The boat had been hired by Hong Kong Electric company for staff and family. It was heading to Victoria Harbour for a fireworks display on a long holiday weekend to celebrate China's National Day and mid-autumn festival.

Hong Kong chief Leung Chun-ying said: "All our emergency rescue teams are concentrated there ... we can see that bit by bit, the people in the water are being rescued.

"We will do all we can to find those who are still missing."

Survivors were taken by boat to Hong Kong island, where a fleet of ambulances took them to several hospitals.

Rescue teams in boats and helicopters spent the night scouring the sea around the site of the accident for signs of survivors, while dive teams entered the sunken boat.

Hong Kong Electric's director of operations SS Yuen said: "This is a very happy holiday and it turned out to be such a tragic incident."

The government initially said a ferry collided with a tugboat.

However, local news reports said the collision was between the hired vessel and a larger boat operated by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry company on a regularly scheduled service.

Salvage crews raised the half-submerged stricken vessel using three crane barges.