Dozens of passengers were injured when a ferry smashed into a cargo ship off the coast in the Philippines.

Footage taken by a passenger inside MV St Jhudiel shows how they approached LCT Poseidon, followed by a violent jolt during the crash in the waters of Cebu province on May 21 afternoon.

Horrified passengers could only hold on to their seats while the others frantically watched outside their window as they continued to slam towards the other vessel.

The ferry and the cargo ship were passing under the Sergio Osmena Bridge when the ferry reportedly experienced an engine failure.

Officials said that more than 35 of the 197 passengers on board the ferry suffered minor injuries, but everyone, including the 11 crew, were safely evacuated.

Passenger Naveen Isnardo Bharwani said: ‘It was really scary. It happened so suddenly. We were almost thrown off our seats.'

Rescue boats and the coast guards immediately responded and towed the vessel to a pier where injured passengers were given first aid while the others were taken to a hospital.

Meanwhile, the cargo ship made a detour and returned to its port of origin in Mandaue City.

The company that owned the ferry SuperCat Fast Ferry Corporation, apologised in a statement.

They said: ‘We are conducting a thorough investigation of the incident with proper government agencies, and that additional safety measures and appropriate actions shall be undertaken to avoid the recurrence of this unfortunate incident.'

The Philippine Coast Guard said it would check the ferry's seaworthiness while an oil spill assessment was conducted in the area.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.