Updated

Hong Kong authorities say 85 people have been injured in a predawn accident in which a high-speed ferry heading for Macau hit an unidentified object off an outlying island.

The hydrofoil carrying 105 passengers and 10 crew struck the object at 1:15 a.m. Friday.

The ferry was towed back to the Hong Kong ferry pier and the injured were sent to hospital.

A government spokesman said three people were in serious condition and 46 were stable.

The ferry company said preliminary checks found no significant damage.

The Marine Department is investigating the accident, which has not affected sea traffic in the area.

The incident comes just over a year after 39 people died in Hong Kong's biggest maritime tragedy in decades when a commuter ferry collided with a smaller boat.