Eighty five people were injured on 29/11/2013 Friday,
three of them seriously, when a high speed ferry travelling from Hong Kong to
Macau hit an unidentified object in the water, authorities said.
The nighttime crash, which took place on a popular
tourist route, comes at a time of heightened public concern over the safety of
maritime transport in Hong Kong's harbour, one of the world's busiest shipping
lanes.
In the latest incident, the double deck hydrofoil
"Madeira" carrying 105 passengers and 10 crew "collided with an
unidentifiable object" around 1:15am near one of Hong Kong's small
outlying islands, boat operator TurboJet said.
Passengers described being hurled out of their seats by
the force of the collision. "There was suddenly a loud bang. The ferry was
thrown upwards. Then many passengers were thrown out from their seats,"
one passenger identified as Mr Wong was quoted as saying by Hong Kong's Apple
Daily.
Multiple passengers were stretchered into ambulances by
emergency services staff, some wrapped in neck braces and breathing through
oxygen masks. The walking wounded limpedaway in bandages after treatment at
the scene.