PALERMO, Sicily - A high-speed ferry carrying about 150 commuters collided with a container ship off the coast of Sicily today, killing at least four people and injuring about 70, eight seriously, Italian authorities said.
Port authorities said the collision took place in the Straits of Messina betweenSicily and the Italian mainland.
Officials coordinating the operation said the two dead were crew members aboard the ferry, which was travelling from the city of Reggio Calabria on the mainland to Messina in Sicily on a regular afternoon commuter run at rush hour.
Two other crew members were reported missing.
Some of the injured suffered burns from a fire that started after the collision. Several were trapped in the rubble of the ferry before they could be freed.
There were conflicting reports of the total number of injured. Italian media quoting investigative sources on the mainland said more than 80 people may have been injured.
Officials said more than 41 people were taken to hospital in Messina on the Sicilian side of the straits and more than 25 on the mainland side in Reggio Calabria.
About eight were in critical condition.
The collision took place in a narrow section of the straits at about 1715 GMT. The straits range in width from 3km to 16km.
Rescue boats from both sides of the straits and guided by helicopters took the injured to hospitals in Reggio Calabria and Messina. Port officials said the container ship was flying a flag of Antigua.
