13 injured in Hong Kong ferry crash
Posted: 20 March 2009 1356 hrs

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HONG KONG: Thirteen people were injured when a high-speed Hong Kong ferry collided with another vessel in the early hours of Friday, a spokeswoman for the ferry company said.

The ferry was travelling from the outlying island of Cheung Chau to Hong Kong Island at 5:30 am (2130 GMT) when it collided with another medium-sized vessel, the spokeswoman for New World First Ferry Services told AFP.

The ferry was carrying 130 passengers and four crew. Thirteen passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, the spokeswoman added.

She said the company was now investigating the cause of the crash on what had been a foggy morning.

Hong Kong's waterways are some of the busiest in the world, with a fleet of passenger ferries and fishing boats competing for space with huge cargo ships heading in and out of the city's major port.

Last year, 18 Ukrainians died when their vessel sunk after colliding with a Chinese cargo ship in Hong Kong waters.

- AFP/yb