55 people injured as ships collide at Italian port

A CARGO ship and a commuter hydrofoil collided near the entrance to the Sicilian port of Messina yesterday evening, injuring about 55 people, at least three of them seriously, officials said.

Firefighters were trying to free some of the people who were trapped in the wreckage of the hydrofoil following the 6pm collision, the Messina port captain’s office said.

About 150 people were aboard the hydrofoil, operated by Italian railways.