2ND LD: Vessels collide in H.K. waters, 97 injured

Asian Economic News, Feb 22, 2005

HONG KONG, Feb. 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

A China-bound passenger catamaran with 165 people onboard collided with a Chinese freighter in fog-shrouded Hong Kong waters Thursday morning, injuring 97 people, a Hong Kong government spokeswoman said.

Four were hospitalized in serious condition, the spokeswoman said, adding that no one onboard the mainland-registered cargo vessel was hurt.

The Japanese Consulate-General in Hong Kong said at least two Japanese passengers, a man in his 50s and another man in his 60s, sustained minor injuries and were released from hospital after treatment.

The two vessels reportedly collided at 8:18 a.m. in Cap Shui Mun, northwest of the Hong Kong island of Tsing Yi. The catamaran -- with 156 passengers and nine crew members onboard -- was heading to Nansha Island and the city of Panyu in neighboring Guangdong Province.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Observatory said the visibility in Hong Kong had dropped to just 180 meters at the time of the accident.

The cause of the collision was being investigated by the Hong Kong Marine Department.