Basalt Island
Encyclopedia
Basalt Island is an island of Hong Kong
. Administratively it is part of Sai Kung District
. Together with Wang Chau
and Bluff Island
, it forms the Ung Kong Group (甕缸群島) and is part of Hong Kong National Geopark
.
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.
since 1979.
Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong
Hong Kong comprises the Kowloon peninsula and 263 islands over 500 m2, the largest being Lantau Island and the second largest being Hong Kong Island. Ap Lei Chau is one of the most densely populated islands in the world....
. Administratively it is part of Sai Kung District
Sai Kung District
Sai Kung District is the second largest district in Hong Kong in terms of area. It comprises the southern half of Sai Kung Peninsula and Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the New Territories plus a strip to the east of Kowloon. The administrative centre is Sai Kung Town but the district's population is...
. Together with Wang Chau
Wang Chau (Sai Kung)
Wang Chau is an island of Hong Kong. Administratively it is part of Sai Kung District.Together with Basalt Island and Bluff Island, it forms the Ung Kong Group and is part of Hong Kong National Geopark.-External links:*...
and Bluff Island
Bluff Island
Bluff Island, indigneously known as Sha Tong Hau Shan , also known as Ung Kong , is an island in Port Shelter, south of Sai Kung Peninsula of Hong Kong. It is an important area for corals and other marine life. The island is zoned as Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1979...
, it forms the Ung Kong Group (甕缸群島) and is part of Hong Kong National Geopark
Hong Kong National Geopark
Hong Kong Global Geopark of China , formerly Hong Kong National Geopark , was inaugurated on November 3, 2009. It covers an area of 50 km2 across parts of the Eastern and Northeastern New Territories. It includes eight sites...
.
History
On 21 December 1948, Basalt Island was the site of the first air crash in Hong Kong, in which all 28 passengers, including five women and one child, and 7 crew were killed. The CNACChina National Aviation Corporation
The China National Aviation Corporation , was a major airline in the Republic of China and is currently a state owned aviation holding company in the People's Republic of China, which owns a majority of Air China and Air Macau.-History:In 1929, it was established as China Airways by...
flight XT-104 from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
was operated by a C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
. Fog over the island was the official cause of the crash.
Quentin Roosevelt II
Quentin Roosevelt II
Quentin Roosevelt II was the fourth child of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. and Eleanor Butler Alexander-Roosevelt. He was the namesake of his uncle Quentin Roosevelt who was killed in action during World War I in 1918...
, the grandson of American president Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, and a Senior Vice President of China National Aviation Corporation
China National Aviation Corporation
The China National Aviation Corporation , was a major airline in the Republic of China and is currently a state owned aviation holding company in the People's Republic of China, which owns a majority of Air China and Air Macau.-History:In 1929, it was established as China Airways by...
(CNAC) was among the casualties.
Conservation
The island is zoned as a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest (Hong Kong)
Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a special area to protect wildlife, habitats and geographic features based on scientic interest in Hong Kong. Scientic interests are special features relating to animal life, plant life, geology and/or geography...
since 1979.