BEIJING - TWO Dutch tourists were killed and nine other people injured when a passenger ferry collided with a cargo ship loaded with coal near the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, state media said on Friday.

The accident took place at about 8pm (1200 GMT, 8pm Singapore time) on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency said in a brief report, citing local maritime authorities.

Hong Kong's RTHK radio reported that the high-speed ferry had been travelling from Hong Kong to Guangzhou when it hit a barge near its destination. It put the number of injured at eight.

Seventy-five passengers and nine crew were aboard the ferry at the time of the collision, RTHK said, adding that the injured had been hospitalised. -- AFP