A cruise ship has collided with a dock and a tourist river boat on a busy canal in Venice, police in Italy say.

Italian media report that at least five people have been injured in the crash.

The collision happened about 8:30am on Sunday on the Giudecca Canal, a major thoroughfare that leads to Saint Mark’s Square in the north-eastern Italian city.

Video of the crash shows the cruise ship, apparently unable to halt its momentum, ploughing into the much smaller river boat and the dock as dozens of people run away in panic.

Venice is a tremendously popular site for both tourists and cruise ships, especially during the summer tourist season.

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