One dead and 12 injured after hit-and-run boat crash in Florida

One person has died and at least 12 others were injured after a boat crash in the city of Clearwater, Florida, police have said.

The Clearwater Ferry, which had 45 people on board, including two crew members, was struck by a boat which then left the scene. The boat was later identified by another law enforcement agency, Clearwater government officials said.

City officials asked for any witnesses to the crash to contact authorities.

The city's fire department declared a mass casualty event because of the "number and severity of injuries". The US Coast Guard said 12 people were taken to a nearby hospital.

All of the injuries were to people aboard the ferry, which came to rest on a sandbar. Officials said two of the victims were seriously injured.

Witnesses told local media outlets that the boat shattered the back of the ferry and left a huge dent. Nearby boaters used their own vessels to take a number of the ferry passengers to safety.

Police responded at 20:43 local time on Sunday (00:43 GMT on Monday).

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will handle the crash investigation, assisted by the Coast Guard.

Clearwater is on Florida's west coast, near the cities of Tampa and St Petersburg. The ferry takes passengers from Clearwater's downtown to a popular beach. The crash happened on the last day of a local sand sculpture festival.