Huge rescue operation underway with at least one dead after boat crashes into ferry carrying up to 50 passengers

One person has died and several others have been injured after a boat crashed into a ferry off the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Florida and then fled the scene, authorities said.

The Clearwater Police Department posted on Twitter that there were multiple injuries and the crash had been declared 'a mass casualty incident' by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department due to the number of injuries.

All of those injured were on board the ferry, which was carrying more than 40 people last night (April 27). Police did not provide any information about the person who died.

The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway Bridge and all patients and passengers were removed.

At the moment, there is limited information about the boat - said to be privately owned - that fled the scene.

Authorities did not immediately provide the number of those who were hurt.

“All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,” the post said.

Videos on social media showed several first responders rushing to the scene with lights flashing. Police warned drivers to avoid the Memorial Causeway.

The US Coast Guard and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will investigate the crash.

According to one witness, there were four helicopters and 10 ambulances at the scene of the crash last night.

Appeals have been launched to find out more information about the boat driver in light of them fleeing the scene.

Rob Shaw with the City of Clearwater said, as per ABC Action News: “We believe the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately and we believe our law enforcement partners are at another location with that boat right now, but we are still asking anybody who has information anyone that witnessed anything anyone that may have any video to contact us.”

Shaw said 45 people were on board the ferry at the time of the crash, including two crew members.

Brenda Alvarez was a passenger on the ferry and is 31 weeks pregnant. She says she hasn't felt her unborn baby move since the incident.

The concerned mom said: “We are actually going to go to the hospital right now to get checked because I'm a little worried I haven't felt the baby move it's very scary and I fell between two seats and my whole body hurts right now. We just wanted to get to our cars and get home.”

She had her two young children, aged one and three, with her on the ferry.