Hundreds of TurboJET passengers were left stranded after a high-speed ferry collided with a fishing boat off Lantau Island on Saturday night, leaving a woman injured.
The vessel departed from Macau at 11:15 p.m., carrying 289 passengers and 10 crewmembers on board.
The jetfoil was stranded for two hours while it underwent inspections by crewmembers and marine officials from both Guangdong and the Hong Kong Marine Department, who were sent to decide whether the ferry was still seaworthy, South China Morning Post reported.
“Since the [accident] is situated in mainland waters, the relevant mainland authorities have demanded the ferry to remain stationary pending an inspection,” operating company Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management wrote.
The front of the 15-meter fishing boat is damaged, while dents and a large gash measuring about eight meters wide are visible on the ferry’s starboard exterior.
“It was frightening, really. We saw something scrape by the window [… the impact] was pretty intense; the doors of all the overhead compartments flew open,” one passenger recalled.
Passengers on both vessels were said to be safe, however a 20-year-old woman was taken to hospital due to leg injuries.
The ferry finally arrived back at the Macau ferry pier at Sheung Wan at around 2:20 a.m., the media outlet stated.
According to a spokesman for the company, bad weather was probably one of the contributing factors in the collision, as heavy rain lashed Hong Kong Saturday evening. He added that the sea route was a commonly used one and fishermen were known to operate in those waters. Staff reporter
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