According to Japanese authorities, more than 80 people were injured after a jetfoil ferry incident in the East Sea on Saturday. Five people were hospitalized in critical condition.
The vessel carrying 121 passengers and four crew apparently hit a large marine animal, presumably a whale, and sustained a 15-centimeter crack in the stern.
Despite the damage, the high-speed boat, which connects the city of Niigata with the nearby Sado island, managed to reach its destination in Ryotsu port, according to ferry operator.
Witnesses reported the sound of a bang as the collision occurred. “People around me were moaning [because of pain],” one of the passengers told journalists.
