36 dead in Hong Kong ferry accident

Ferry and tug collide between Hong Kong and Lamma Island.

• NEW: 25 people died, says local hospital authority
• A ferry and tug collide between Hong Kong and Lamma Island, says Hong Kong government
• Passengers thrown into water; more than 100 people have been rescued so far
• The ferry had been rented by a company for a staff holiday outing

(CNN) -- A ferry and a tugboat collided off Hong Kong on Monday night, killing 25 people and sending dozens of passengers into the water, according to government and medical authorities.

The crash necessitated what local police called a "major rescue" operation, China's state-run media Xinhua said.

The tug struck the middle of the ferry, Xinhua said. It happened around 8:20 p.m. local time, just off the coast of Lamma Island, southwest of Hong Kong, according to the government statement. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority said as of 4 a.m. Tuesday, about 100 people and the bodies of the dead had been taken to five public hospitals.

Rescuers initially retrieved dozens of approximately 120 ferry passengers from the water, and brought them to six on-shore locations, the city government statement said. The rescue effort was still going on as dawn approached Tuesday, the hospital authority said.

A local power supply company, HK Electric, had rented the boat for a staff outing, a company official told Xinhua.

The party was watching National Day celebrations, the South China Morning Post reported.

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