More Than 80 People Injured After Ferry Hits a Whale in Japan

The accident occurred when the ferry, a high-speed hydrofoil ship that was carrying 125 people including crew members, hit the object as it was en route to Sabo Island from Niigata port, according to BBC.

 

The collision reportedly left a crack with a size of 15 centimeters (6 inches) in the stern of the ferry and damaged one of the hydrofoil.

In their statement, the ferry operator apologized to the passengers for the accident. Of those injured, 13 of them were in serious condition, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

They were taken to the hospital and were conscious.

“My throat hit the seat in front of me,” a passenger said. “People around me were moaning [in pain].”

Prior to the accident, one crew member recounted seeing a “large white body” on the water’s surface, the New York Times reported.

An investigation into the accident has been launched. The ferry is reportedly powered by jets of seawater and that it can travel at up to 80 kilometers per hour (49 miles per hour).

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