More than 50 injured as ferry plows into Manhattan pier

New York - A commuter ferry has crashed into a pier in the lower Manhattan portion of New York City, injuring more than fifty people.

According to reports from ABC Eyewitness 7, the Seastreak ferry ran into Pier 11 approximately 9:00 a.m. local time. The collisions caused a large tear to the bow on the vessel's starboard side. Emergency crews have rushed to the scene and have begun evacuating injured passengers. Current estimates are that at least 53 people have been treated for injuries, with seven passengers considered to be in serious condition. One person is reported to have a serious head injury according to CBS Local New York. One report states that at lease two of the victims have been "red tagged", which means they were not breathing and required resuscitation. In a statement via Twitter, New York fire department officials are calling the incident a "mass casualty incident." Chris Avore, a passenger on the SeaStreak, told ABC: "Nothing seemed like it was going to be out of the ordinary. There was once or twice where I was talking with a colleague where we actually thought it was coming in a little hot near Brooklyn, where we're not used to seeing it. Then the next thing we knew, you feel the jolt and then everybody goes flying." James Barker, president of SeaStreak, told NBC 4 "There was a jolt when {the crash} occurred, throwing the people forward into their seats and the walls." The updates will be given as they become available.