A jiangsu Province cargo ship smashed into an empty ferry docked at the Wusong Wharf on the Huangpu River yesterday, disrupting the morning commute for thousands of passengers.

　　As the ferry drifted into the river, the cargo vessel sped from the accident site and was tracked down 10 kilometers away by maritime authority patrol boats. The ship's crew is now in custody while authorities investigate the cause of the mishap.

　　No one was injured in the collision, but the ferry was severely damaged, and the dock was shut down for hours while repairs were made. Some 8, 000 passengers had to alter their journeys across the river to Pudong's Sanchagang area.

　　The accident happened at about 4:30am. Arriving from Nanjing, the Ningwuji 078 had unloaded its cargo of construction material and was heading away from the Shanghai port when it smashed into the docked boat, according to Wang Jian, an official with Shanghai Ferry Co Ltd.

　　Wang said the crash occurred before normal business hours, and there was no one on the ferry at the time.

　　"A side board on the ferry was seriously damaged, and six cables anchoring the vessel to the dock were broken," he said. "The crash also damaged two float bridges as well as other wharf equipment."

　　A damage estimate was not available.

　　After the ferry drifted several hundred meters into the waterway, a maritime authority vessel lashed onto it and towed it back to the dock.

　　"The uncontrolled ship posed a great danger to marine traffic," said maritime official Wang Jiqin.

　　Meanwhile, three patrol boats went after the hit-and-run cargo ship, catching it on the Yangtze River about an hour away from the accident scene, said maritime officials. Six people were found on the ship, including a two-year-old child.