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Macau fast ferry hits breakwater, injuring 58

Other News Materials 13 June 2014 12:05 (UTC +04:00)
A high-speed ferry heading to Macau crashed into a breakwater in the Asian gambling hub's harbor Friday, leaving 58 people with minor injuries
Macau fast ferry hits breakwater, injuring 58

A high-speed ferry heading to Macau crashed into a breakwater in the Asian gambling hub's harbor Friday, leaving 58 people with minor injuries, AP reported.

The hydrofoil was carrying 220 passengers and 13 crew when it hit the seawall at about 9:30 a.m. after departing nearby Hong Kong about an hour earlier, the ferry's operator, Shun Tak Holdings Ltd., said in a brief statement.

The company said 57 passengers were injured, including two Koreans and one Japanese, and one crew member, who suffered a "waist injury." All were taken to a hospital, with 15 already released, the company said in an update to earlier information.

The boat, steered by a captain with 34 years of experience, was travelling at 35 knots (65 kph) in fine weather at the time of the accident, the statement added.

The ferry route between the coastal Chinese territories of Macau and Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest, with vessels departing around the clock carrying visitors, many from mainland China, to and from the former Portuguese colony's glitzy casinos. The waters surrounding the two cities are also growing increasingly crowded with cargo ships and ferries plying routes to the mainland.

In May, 30 people were hurt when a Macau-bound fast ferry collided with a mainland Chinese cargo ship in Hong Kong's western waters.

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