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NY ferry in collision with pier | NY ferry in collision with pier |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A ferry has crashed into a pier on New York's Staten Island injuring 37 people, officials say. | |
None were seriously hurt in the collision, which was said to have been caused by a mechanical fault. | |
The Andrew J Barberi ferry has a history of accidents. In 2003, 11 people were killed when it crashed into a pier on Staten Island. | |
The ferry, which connects the island with Manhattan, hit the St George Ferry Terminal at 0930 on Saturday. | |
Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, said that it appeared that the captain could not slow down as the boat approached the dock. | |
"It looks like there was a mechanical problem," she said. | |
She said 17 of the 37 people injured were taken to hospitals, but none suffered serious injuries. | |
'Brake, brake' | |
Passenger Jason Watler, 30, said he noticed the ferry was approaching the shore at a faster speed than usual. | |
He says he then ran to the back of the boat, before hearing a "real big boom". | |
"I stumbled a little bit," he told AP news agency. | |
"People were screaming. People were crying". | |
A New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesman told the BBC that the ferry had made a "hard landing". | A New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesman told the BBC that the ferry had made a "hard landing". |
The NYPD says there were between 200 and 300 people on board. | The NYPD says there were between 200 and 300 people on board. |
One witness, Antonina Rose, said ambulances were at the Staten Island terminal, the New York Times reported. | One witness, Antonina Rose, said ambulances were at the Staten Island terminal, the New York Times reported. |
"The whole building was trembling," she said. | |
Another passenger, quoted by Reuters, said the ferry was going too quickly as it approached the dock. | Another passenger, quoted by Reuters, said the ferry was going too quickly as it approached the dock. |
"I heard over the loudspeaker someone say 'brake, brake,' and it just bounced off," he said. | "I heard over the loudspeaker someone say 'brake, brake,' and it just bounced off," he said. |
The same ferry crashed into the same terminal in 2003 at full speed, killing 11 people and injuring 70. | |
The captain at the time was sentenced to 18 months in prison, after it was found that he had passed out due to doses of painkillers. | |
The Staten Island Ferry transports 20 million people a year between Staten Island and lower Manhattan. | The Staten Island Ferry transports 20 million people a year between Staten Island and lower Manhattan. |