HONG KONG - A three-day mourning for victims of the tragic vessel crash began on Thursday in Hong Kong, with its chief executive and top officials observing three-minute silence at noon outside the government headquarters.

Led by Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam and other senior officials attended the ceremony.

Except for emergency and immigration units, all government services were suspended during the period. All staff on duty observed the three-minute silence at their workplaces.

Members of the city's legislative council also joined in observing silence for the victims at the square outside the council's complex.

The Chinese national flag and the regional flag outside government buildings will fly at half mast till Saturday. Condolence points set up in each of the 18 districts started to operate in the afternoon for the public to mourn the victims.

Leung, together with Chief Secretary, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing, Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok and Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man, later visited the Leighton Hill Community Hall at Happy Valley to sign the condolence book for the victims.

After visiting a condolence point, Secretary for Education Eddie Ng said psychologists have been sent to schools attended by the young victims of the tragedy to provide support to parents, teachers and students.

The accident happened on October 1 off Lamma Island when two ferries collided, killing 38 people. As of 10 a.m. Thursday local time, 16 injured people remained in hospital, two of them in critical or serious conditions.