Basalt Island

{{short description|Island of Hong Kong}} {{Infobox Chinese |c=火石洲 |sl=Foh2 Sek6 Jau1 |j=fo2 sek6 zau1 |p=Huǒshí Zhōu }} thumb|Location of Basalt Island thumb|Basalt Island

'''Basalt Island''' or '''Fo Shek Chau''' ({{lang-zh|t=火石洲|sl=Foh2 Sek6 Jau1}}) is an island of Hong Kong and administratively part of Sai Kung District. Together with Wang Chau and Bluff Island, it forms the Ung Kong ({{lang-zh|t=甕缸|sl=Ung3 Gong1|labels=no}}) Group<ref>[http://www.geopark.gov.hk/en_geopark2.html Hong Kong Global Geopark]</ref> and is part of Hong Kong Global Geopark.

==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.<ref>Hong Kong Global Geopark: [http://www.geopark.gov.hk/en_s4f3.htm Typical coastal terrain–Basalt Island]</ref> Notably, despite its name is “Basalt Island”, the rocks that forms the island are indeed rhyolitic tuff.

==History== On 21{{nbsp}}December 1948, Basalt Island was the site of the first commercial airliner crash in Hong Kong,<ref>{{cite news|title=Basalt Island Crash Investigation|url=http://www.cnac.org/sundby03.pdf|access-date=10 August 2015|author=David Pickerell|date=19 November 2007}}</ref> in which all 35 people on board, including five women, one child and 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=33 Feared Killed in Air Crash |url=https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_hsf=1948-12-22&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_actual_q=%28%20verbatim_dc.collection%3A%28Old%5C%20HK%5C%20Newspapers%29%20%29&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_sort_field=dc.date.accessioned_bsort&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_freetext_filter=1948-12-22&p_r_p_-1078056564_c=QF757YsWv5%2B18%2FP68muQtydqAdPFoRXy&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_o=3&_coverpage_WAR_mmisportalportlet_sort_order=desc |access-date=2023-03-01 |work=The China Mail |date=1948-12-22}}</ref>

Quentin Roosevelt II, the grandson of American president Theodore Roosevelt and then Senior Vice President of China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC), and Paul Yung, elder brother of Rong Yiren who was later to become vice-president of the People's Republic of China, were among the casualties.

Debris remains near the site of the crash.

==Conservation== The island was zoned as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1979.<ref>[http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/eia_planning/sea/annex_b.html List of SSSIs in Hong Kong] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027031339/http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/eia_planning/sea/annex_b.html |date=2009-10-27 }}</ref>

The Ung Kong Group Special Area ({{lang-zh|t=甕缸群島特別地區|labels=no}}) covers 176.8 hectares and was designated in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_lea/cp_sa.html| publisher=Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department |title=Country Parks & Special Areas}}</ref> It consists of Basalt Island, Bluff Island, Wang Chau, their surrounding islets, and Kam Chung Ngam ({{lang-zh|t=金鐘岩|labels=no}}) in the southern part of Jin Island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr10-11/english/subleg/brief/137_brf.pdf |title=Double Haven and Others (Special Areas) Order 2010 |date=20 October 2010 |publisher=Legislative Council of Hong Kong |access-date= }}</ref> The geology of the area is characterised by volcanic rocks of the Cretaceous periods.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201012/31/P201012310121.htm |title=Five geologically important sites designated as special areas |date=31 December 2010 |publisher=Government of Hong Kong |access-date= }}</ref>

==See also== {{portal|Islands}} * Basalt

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109185318/http://www.exploresaikung.com/people/Roosevelt.html Hong Kong's Roosevelt Connection Basalt Island's Air Crash] (archive) * [http://www.cnac.org/roosevelt01.htm ''New York Times'' article about the crash] * [http://www.cnac.org/accident015.htm Additional details about the flight]

==External links== {{Commons category|Basalt Island}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604234723/http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/081016/4/8r6l.html Article about rock formations] (archive) {{in lang|zh}}

Category:Uninhabited islands of Hong Kong Category:Sai Kung District Category:Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark Category:Geology of Hong Kong