Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- Hong Kong police on Thursday charged two ferry captains with manslaughter following a fatal ferry collision last year that left 39 people dead -- the city 's worst maritime disaster in decades . The two men , who were not named but whose ages were given as 54 and 56 , were arrested last year along with five other crew members in connection with the collision off Lamma Island near Hong Kong on the night of October 1 , 2012 . The collision involved a passenger ferry traveling from Hong Kong Island to Lamma Island and a vessel owned by the Hong Kong Electric Company , which was carrying company employees and their families to watch a scheduled fireworks display . Survivors described how the collision upended one of the vessels , flinging passengers into the water . Rescuers picked up 123 survivors but at least 92 passengers were injured in the incident . Passengers on board the ferries said how they had only moments to escape . `` First it was up to here and then here . The water rose so quickly , '' one woman , who declined to be named , told CNN affiliate i-Cable at the time . `` We thought we were going to die for sure . '' According to the Hong Kong Fire Services Department , which led the rescue , the vessel began to sink quickly after the impact . It said low visibility and many obstacles on board made work difficult for rescuers . The narrow sea lanes leading into Hong Kong 's main deepwater harbor are some of the busiest in Asia , with giant commercial freighters , ocean liners , passenger ferries and private boats of all sizes sharing the waters . Hong Kong is home to more than 200 outlying Islands , including Lamma . Hong Kong Island is on the south side of Victoria harbor , with Kowloon forming its northern shore . North of Kowloon lie the New Territories , which stretch all the way to mainland China . The collision was Hong Kong 's most lethal maritime accident since 1971 , when 88 people died after the ferry Fat Shan capsized between Hong Kong and Macau during a typhoon . The five crew members also arrested over the incident are due to answer bail in mid-April . READ MORE : World 's 'most delightful commute ' hit by ferry disaster . READ MORE : Survivors recount chaos , horror of ferry collision . READ MORE : Rescuers search for missing after deadly Hong Kong ferry crash . CNN 's Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report .
Hong Kong police charge two ferry captains with manslaughter . Follows fatal ferry collision last year that left 39 people dead . Involved passenger ferry and vessel carrying revelers to National Day fireworks . Narrow sea lanes leading into Hong Kong 's main harbor are some of the busiest in Asia .