At least 23 tourists, including 11 foreigners, were injured after their ship collided in heavy rain with a cargo ship on a river running through Shanghai, hospital sources said.

 

The collision occurred around 6:40 PM Saturday at a section of the Huangpu River near downtown Shanghai, when the "Shikumen" passenger ship carrying 216 tourists aboard crashed with a cargo vessel sailing in the opposite direction.

 

Twenty-three injured tourists, including eight from Japan and three from Spain, were rushed to the Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital for medical treatment. Some others have been sent to other hospitals.

 

Except for a Spanish tourist who suffered a disjoint on her left shoulder, most of the injured had slight bruises in the head or arms, said a doctor with the hospital.

 

"I heard two bangs and thought they were lightning strikes," recalled a Chinese tourist, named Qin Zhengbing. He had two swellings on the forehead after hitting a column due to shaking from the collision.

 

"Rain forced all the tourists to stay in cabins before the collision. Otherwise, the consequences would be much more serious," said a tourist guide.

 

The passenger ship managed to anchor at a nearby pier after the accident. The cargo ship, from neighboring Zhejiang Province, was seized by police before its escape.

 

Maritime authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2007)