Video: 38 killed as two passenger boats collide in Hong Kong

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At least 38 people have died after two passenger ferries collided in Hong Kong on Monday night, knocking 120 people into the sea.

A private ferry owned by Hong Kong Electric Company was heading out on an evening cruise taking people to watch China's National Day firework display when it crashed into a passenger ferry bound for Lamma Island, a popular spot with tourists that lies two miles south west of Hong Kong.

All 124 passengers on board the Hong Kong Electric ship, and an unknown number on board the passenger ferry, were knocked into the sea, according to the Telegraph.

Within minutes, the Hong Kong Electric ship had sunk, while the passenger ferry, although damaged, managed to dock at Lamma, where some passengers and crew were taken to hospital.

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According to the BBC, a huge air and sea search for survivors is continuing. Dozens of boats and two helicopters were involved in last night's search.

Twenty eight people were pronounced dead at the scene, while about 100 others have been taken to hospital, eight of whom have died.

A Hong Kong Government statement said: "Over 100 people were sent to five hospitals during the incident; nine of them have sustained serious injuries or are in critical condition."

The crash happened about 20:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on Monday.

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One survivor told The South China Morning Post: "After 10 minutes out, a boat crashed into ours from the side at very high speed. The rear... started to sink. I suddenly found myself deep under the sea.

"I swam hard and tried to grab a life buoy. I don't know where my two kids are."

Another woman said: "We thought we were going to die. Everyone was trapped inside."

Sarah Blackman was on the passenger boat, reportedly operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry. She told the BBC: "I was on the top deck of the ferry and felt the impact - it threw people off of their seats.

"The sound the collision made was horrific. As my ferry docked in Lamma, it was clear everyone was in shock and desperately concerned for the ship left behind."

The week-long national holiday also saw another tragedy yesterday, as six people were killed after a tourist bus crashed into a lorry on a highway near China's capital Beijing.

Five German nationals as well as a Chinese holidaymaker were killed, while 14 others were injured after the tourist bus rear-ended a container truck and caught fire on Monday morning on the expressway linking Beijing with Shanghai.





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