87 injured in Hong Kong high-speed ferry accident

A high-speed ferry travelling from Hong Kong to Macau collided with an "unidentified object" injuring 87 people, AFP reported.

The double-deck hydrofoil "Madeira" carrying 105 passengers and 10 crew hit "an unidentifiable object" near one of Hong Kong's small outlying islands, boat operator TurboJet said.

"We know 87 people were injured, three of whom are in a serious condition," a Hong Kong government spokeswoman told AFP.

It was not clear what the object was but passengers described being hurled out of their seats by the force of the collision.

"There was suddenly a loud bang. The ferry was thrown upwards. Then many passengers were thrown out from their seats," one passenger was quoted as saying by Hong Kong's Apple Daily.

Multiple passengers were stretchered into ambulances by emergency services staff, some wrapped in neck braces and breathing through oxygen masks. Some of the injured limped away in bandages after treatment at the scene.

One passenger told Hong Kong television the crash felt like a "very big bang".

Hong Kong's waters are notoriously crowded. Hundreds of vessels, from rickety wooden sampans to enormous container ships, ply the shipping routes that crisscross the territory every day.

Ferries are a vital part of the transport network, connecting the main urban areas to Hong Kong's numerous outlying islands, the Chinese mainland and Macau.