Inquiry launched after Stena Feronia, which was carrying nearly 100 people from Merseyside, is badly damaged in crash
An inquiry is under way into how a passenger ferry travelling from Merseyside with nearly 100 passengers and crew collided with a cargo ship in Belfast Lough.
No one was injured in the crash near the Fairway buouy off the Co Down coast at around 7.45pm on Wednesday.
The Stena Feronia ferry was on the last leg of its journey from Birkenhead to Belfast when the accident happened. The cargo vessel Union Moon was left badly damaged after the collision.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will now carry out an investigation into how the two ships hit each other.
Diane Poole from Stena Line said all 51 passengers on board were discharged safely. She said: "The staff looked after the customers extremely well on board. There was nothing else that the staff could have done for them and I hope they find comfort in that."
Ulster Unionist assembly member for East Antrim Roy Beggs said: "Many people will rightly be asking just how two modern vessels with state of the art navigation equipment can collide in a major shipping lane. This question must be answered in order to maintain public confidence and to ensure that the excellent safety record is maintained."