Heavy fog delays ferry traffic between Hong Kong, Macao

HONG KONG -- Heavy fog over Hong Kong waters on Friday caused several minor boat collisions and slowed ferry travel, limiting traffic on a key route that carries tourists to the booming neighboring gambling enclave of Macau.

A high-speed ferry traveling west from Hong Kong to Macau carrying more than 370 passengers hit a small fishing vessel near Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island Friday morning, Marine Department spokeswoman Daisy Lo said.

No one was injured and both vessels could continue their journeys, Lo said.

Meanwhile, ferry operator Turbojet said it has scaled back its services to Macau to every half hour from its usual peak frequency of every five minutes and that travel time would take half an hour more than the usual one-hour journey.

Government-owned radio RTHK reported on its Web site that another operator, First Ferry, canceled three services in the afternoon and delayed others.

Lo said the foggy conditions also caused two other minor collisions involving a fire boat and small cargo vessels, but no one was injured in those accidents.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the foggy weather had spread along the southern China coast and was the result of a warm and humid maritime air stream.