Two injured as Star Ferry and fishing boat collide in harbour
The Marine Department has launched an investigation into a head-on collision between a Star Ferry vessel and a fishing boat in Victoria Harbour that left two people slightly injured yesterday.
The double-deck 'Day Star' ferry, carrying 31 passengers and six crew members, was heading from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui when the accident happened at 10.30am.
The right side of the ferry's bow collided with the left side of the fishing boat's bow, about 200 metres from the Tsim Sha Tsui pier. The latter is a 26-metre-long, locally registered vessel.
Seven windows on the upper deck of the ferry were damaged and glass fragments flew into the compartment. The department said there was no major damage to the fishing boat.
Two female ferry passengers, aged 27 and 38, suffered minor injuries. The two crew members on the fishing boat were unhurt.
'The woman, 38, was thrown from her seat in the impact, injuring her waist, and the other woman suffered minor scratches to her right knee,' a marine police officer said.
After the collision, the ferry continued its journey, berthed at the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui and its passengers disembarked.
One woman was discharged from Queen Elizabeth Hospital after treatment. The other was bandaged at the pier and refused hospital treatment.
The Star Ferry general manager, Johnny Leung Tak-hing, said the area was busy with several boats when the collision occurred. He said the Marine Department was investigating.
The ferry service was slightly disrupted by the incident, and another ferry was deployed to replace the damaged vessel.
The Star Ferry said the captain had been with the company since 1990, and had not been involved in any other collisions.
It was the second sea collision in Hong Kong waters in 10 days. On March 22, the Ukrainian-registered supply tugboat Neftegaz-67 sank after a collision with the mainland-registered freighter Yaohai near The Brothers islands. Seven crew were rescued, three bodies found and 15 are still missing.
