Relatives of victims who died in Monday's ferry collision throw paper money to pay tribute to those lost, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012, in Hong Kong. A show of concern by Beijing over the boat collision that killed dozens of people in Hong Kong this week has backfired, further damaging the communist government's image in the former British colony. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong residents are mourning the deaths of 38 people earlier this week in the city's biggest maritime tragedy in decades.
People across the southern Chinese city dressed in black and fell silent for three minutes at midday Thursday as they started three days of official mourning.
A utility company's boat carrying more than 120 people collided with a ferry Monday night and partly sank. More than 100 people, mostly on the boat, were injured. Initial suspicions on the cause of the collision have focused on human error.
The accident is also further damaging mainland China's image in Hong Kong, after a Chinese official's appearance raised eyebrows. Hong Kong is a former British colony that came back under Beijing's control 15 years ago but retains a high degree of autonomy.