SYDNEY—Five people were killed and nine injured early on Thursday when two boats collided in Sydney Harbour, police said.
A small cruiser with 14 onboard, almost twice its legal capacity, and a fishing trawler heading out to sea, collided near Bradley's Head at about 2:40 a.m. (1640 GMT on Wednesday).
"One was heading out to sea and one was coming in. The trawler was heading out to sea. The small boat was out on a social activity," a police spokesman told a news conference.
Passers-by helped those in the water to reach shore and rescue boats and helicopters rescued survivors within an hour.
"It was pitch black, it was quite cool, we did have a helicopter which had been deployed to the scene to assist and manage the patients," an ambulance official said.
"At that early stage, it was extremely difficult case in trying to determine how many patients we did have."
Four women, aged in their teens or late 20s, and one man died in the accident and nine people were taken to hospital, two with serious injuries. All the casualties appeared to be from the 23 ft (7 metre) half cabin cruiser.
The injured, eight men and one woman, were aged between 18 and 31, said a spokeswoman for the Royal North Shore Hospital.
"So much of Sydney's life and activity happens in and around the harbour. People go out to celebrate and have a good time, and for this to be the end of it is just breathtaking," said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
There was no immediate indication as to why the boats collided, with local fishermen saying the harbour was calm overnight, with plenty of light and little wind.
Just over a year ago, four people were killed when a ferry collided with a private boat under Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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