36 die in Hong Kong boat collision

A collision between two passenger boats off Hong Kong has left at least 36 people dead, BBC News reported, citing officials .

One of the boats was carrying more than 120 people to a fireworks display when it half-sank following Monday night's collision near Lamma Island.

Twenty-eight people were pronounced dead at the scene. About 100 others have been taken to hospital, eight of whom were later said to have died.

A large-scale air and sea search for survivors is still continuing.

A Hong Kong government statement said: "Over 100 people were sent to five hospitals during the incident, nine of them have sustained serious injuries or are in critical condition."

Rescue work would continue, the statement added, because the fire department could not rule out that there were still people inside the vessel or missing.

The collision occurred during a busy period for passenger travel in Hong Kong, at the end of a long holiday weekend to mark the mid-autumn festival that this year coincides with China's National Day on 1 October.

Power company Hong Kong Electric was reportedly using a commercial boat to take staff and family members to watch National Day fireworks in Victoria Harbour.

The vessel and another boat - reportedly operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry - collided, causing the HK Electric vessel to list, a company official was quoted as saying.

The other boat reportedly had about 100 people on board.

It was slightly damaged in the crash but returned safely to port, according to Radio Television Hong Kong. A number of passengers on board were treated for minor injuries.