5 killed in boat collision in Sydney

By ROHAN SULLIVAN
Associated Press Writer

A fishing trawler and a small boat collided before dawn Thursday in Sydney Harbor, killing five people and injuring nine, authorities said.

The collision, which occurred in cold and dark conditions, threw all 14 people aboard the small boat into the water, said police Inspector Tony Bear.

All of the dead and injured _ aged between 18 and 31 _ were on the small boat, which was licensed to carry eight people.

The 23-foot boat was not being used for work at the time of the collision, said John McPherson, general manager of Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering, which owns the boat.

He told The Daily Telegraph newspaper Thursday that none of his staff works at that hour. "All my staff have been accounted for," he said.

Boat collisions are rare on the harbor, the site of some of the country´s most recognizable landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was shocked by the news of the collision, calling it "every parents´ nightmare."

"I just am stunned by this," Rudd told Fairfax Radio. "For the parents of those who have lost their lives this is just a terrible, terrible day."

The crash occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Bear said it was not immediately known why people were on the boat at that hour.

Passing vessels began plucking some of the injured from the water, which was chilled by a recent cold snap.

Ambulance and water police who arrived first described a chaotic scene as an official gave initial treatment to the injured on a small wharf before they were moved to a nearby hospital.

One man was in critical condition and two others were in serious condition, said Dr. Andrew Rochford, spokesman for Royal North Shore Hospital, where the injured were taken.