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| The collision caused the ferry to list so its bow protruded from the water |
Twenty-five people have died after a ferry collided with another boat off Hong Kong, officials say.
The ferry was carrying 121 passengers and three crew to a fireworks display when it half-sank following Monday night's collision near Lamma Island.
By Tuesday morning, all but one had been pulled from the water. The rescue operation is continuing.
More than 40 injured people had been taken to hospitals on Hong Kong Island, some suffering from hypothermia.
The collision occurred during a busy period for passenger travel in Hong Kong, at the end of a long holiday weekend to mark the mid-autumn festival that this year coincides with China's National Day on 1 October.
Power company Hong Kong Electric was reportedly using the commercial boat to take staff and family members to watch National Day fireworks in Victoria Harbour.
The vessel and another boat - reportedly a ferry operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry - collided, causing the HK Electric vessel to list, a company official was quoted as saying.
More than 40 people were taken to hospitals with injuries, police said
Shipping channel
The crash happened around 2030 on Monday evening.
After several hours of searching, rescuers had pulled 123 people from the water around the listing vessel, an FSD official told AFP
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"Among them, 17 were certified dead at scene while eight others were certified dead upon arrival at hospitals," the official was quoted as saying.
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," added the man. "I don't know where my two kids are."
Lamma lies some three kilometres (two miles) south-west of Hong Kong island, and is popular with tourists and expatriates.
Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest shipping channels.
Are you in the area? Did you witness the collision? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC, please use the form below.
Source: BBC
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