One hurt and hundreds left stranded in high-speed ferry crash off Hong Kong’s Lantau island
Jetfoil ferry returning from Macau crashed into a fishing boat late on Saturday night with 289 passengers and 10 crew members on board
A woman was injured on a high-speed ferry returning from Macau after it collided with a fishing boat in mainland waters under poor weather late on Saturday night, leaving nearly 300 passengers stranded.
Operated by TurboJET, the Hong Kong-bound MK2003 set off from Macau at 11.15pm on Saturday night with 289 passengers and 10 crew members on board.
Parent company Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management said the jetfoil collided with a 15-metre fishing boat near Ngau Tau island off Lantau Island, about 35 minutes into the journey.
Since the location was situated in mainland waters, Guangdong maritime authorities had demanded the ferry remain stationary pending an inspection, the company said in a statement.
The vessel was stranded there for two hours to allow inspections by crew members as well as marine officials from both Guangdong and the Hong Kong Marine Department who were sent to decide whether the ferry was still seaworthy.
The front of the fishing boat was damaged, but everyone on board both vessels was said to be safe. Dents and a big gash measuring about eight metres wide could be seen on the jetfoil’s starboard hull as it finally arrived back at the Macau ferry pier in Sheung Wan at around 2.20am.
