A Hong Kong passenger ferry boat on the HK-Macao route collided with a Chinese mainland sight-seeing passenger boat in Zhuhai waters on Monday. No injuries have been reported so far though the mainland boat was seriously damaged and sunk.

According to local media, about 140 people on board the two vessels are safe and the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Two sailors fell into water when the accident happened on Monday morning and were rescued by relief teams.

About 80 people were on board the mainland boat and some of them jumped into the water with life vests and all of them were pulled from the sea by rescue workers aboard over a dozen vessels.

Passengers on board of the Hong Kong ferry boat, which was slightly damaged, returned to Hong Kong on another ferry boat.

The mainland boat, which is seriously damaged, has been sinking.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2006)