Ship and ferry collide off Sicily; four dead
Source: Reuters
Corrects figure in headline from two to four PALERMO, Sicily, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A high-speed ferry carrying about 150 commuters collided with a container ship off the coast of Sicily on Monday, killing at least four people and injuring about 70, eight seriously, Italian authorities said. Port authorities said the collision took place in the Straits of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland, one of the busiest waterways in Italy. Officials coordinating the rescue operation said the four dead were crew members aboard the ferry, which was travelling from the city of Reggio Calabria on the mainland to Messina in Sicily on a regular afternoon commuter run at rush hour. Television pictures showed the ferry with a large gash in its side. Some of the injured suffered burns from a fire that started after the collision. Several were trapped in the wreckage of the ferry until rescuers arrived to free them. Officials said more than 41 people were taken to hospital in Messina on the Sicilian side of the straits and more than 25 on the mainland side in Reggio Calabria. About eight were in critical condition. The collision took place at about 1715 GMT in a narrow section of the straits, which range in width from 3 to 16 km (1.8 to 10 miles). Port officials said the container ship was flying the flag of Antigua.
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