HONG KONG, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying, together with other senior officials as well as lawmakers, observed Thursday three-minute silence to mourn victims of the vessel collision off Lamma Island.
The silence was held at 12:00 noon at the compound of the government offices at Tamar. Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Geoffrey Ma Tao-li and Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam, wearing in black, also attended the silence.
Except for emergency and immigration services, all government services were suspended during the period. All staff on duty observed the silence at their work places.
Thirty-eight people, including five children, were killed after two ferries collided on Monday evening off Lamma Island. As at 10:00 a.m. Thursday local time, 16 injured people remained in hospital, with two being in critical or serious conditions, and the other 77 injured had been discharged.
Flags at all the government buildings will be flown at half-mast for three days till Saturday, a mark of respect for the victims.
The Liaison Office of the Chinese central government in Hong Kong and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong also lowered flags Thursday to mourn the victims.
The victims were remembered by people in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, government buildings and many other venues also observed mourning rituals.
Newspaper front pages were all printed black and local television logos were also in black.
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