Basalt Island

Location of Basalt Island

Basalt Island (Chinese: 火石洲; Jyutping: Fo Shek Chau) is an island of Hong Kong and administratively part of the Sai Kung District. Together with Wang Chau and Bluff Island, it forms the Ung Kong Group (甕缸群島)^[1] and is part of Hong Kong Global Geopark.

History

On 21 December 1948, Basalt Island was the site of the first air crash in Hong Kong,^[2] in which all 28 passengers, including five women and one child along with seven crew were killed. CNAC flight XT-104 from Shanghai to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport was operated by a C-54 Skymaster. Fog over the island was the official cause of the crash.

Quentin Roosevelt II, the grandson of American president Theodore Roosevelt, and a Senior Vice President of China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) was among the casualties.

Geography

Basalt Island is located south of Town Island and Wang Chau, east of Bluff Island and north of the Ninepin Group. Its highest elevation is 174 m.^[3]

Conservation

The island is zoned as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1979.^[4]

See also

• Basalt

References

• Hong Kong's Roosevelt Connection Basalt Island's Air Crash (archive)
• New York Times article about the crash
• Additional details about the flight

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Basalt Island.

• Article about rock formations (archive) (Chinese)

Major islands of Hong Kong By size Lantau Island Hong Kong Island Lamma Island Chek Lap Kok Tsing Yi Kau Sai Chau Po Toi Islands Po Toi Waglan Cheung Chau Tung Lung Chau Crooked Island Double Island Hei Ling Chau Grass Island Ap Lei Chau Soko Islands Tai A Chau Siu A Chau Ping Chau Peng Chau Ma Wan Ninepin Group The Brothers Green Island Kowloon Rock Former islands Kellett Island Stonecutters Island Hoi Sham Island Channel Rock Tsing Chau Mong Chau Chau Tsai Nga Ying Chau Lam Chau Rumsey Rock High Island Yuen Chau Tsai

Coordinates: 22°18′57″N 114°21′56″E / 22.31578°N 114.36562°E / 22.31578; 114.36562