124 passengers on board a high-speed ferry en route from Macau to Hong Kong were injured, with five of them in critical condition, when the vessel reportedly collided with an unknown object in the waters outside Siu A Chau off Lantau at about 6 p.m. local time Sunday.
The Turbojet ferry Horta was carrying 163 passengers and 11 crew members when the vessel hit an object floating in the water, causing water ingress.
Ambulance staff provided basic medical care to the injured, while the Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service airlifted seriously injured people to local medical centers for treatment.
87 of those injured in the accident were discharged the following day. Out of 37 people who were kept in local hospitals, 5 are categorized as being in critical condition, 5 are in serious condition, with the remaining 27 being in stable condition.
One of the Flying Service’s helicopters spotted a rubber tire floating near the site of the accident. The tire is believed to have come off an unidentified vessel and was probably used as a fender to prevent damage during berthing.
The tire was retrieved and handed over to Hong Kong’s Marine Department for further investigation.
World Maritime News Staff