Pier 11 was not closed following the incident

Dozens of people have been injured after a New York passenger ferry hit a dock during the Manhattan rush hour.

A hole was torn in the bow of the vessel, the Seastreak Wall Street, during the incident, with 11 people seriously injured.

Arriving from New Jersey, the ferry hit the dock during the morning rush hour with approximately 340 people on board.

Eye witnesses report passengers rushing to disembark after the ferry docked.

Of those hurt, two were in a critical condition, New York City transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan told reporters.

The most seriously injured passenger suffered a severe head wound by falling down a stairwell.

Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan has not closed as a result of the collision, avoiding a major disruption to water traffic.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier visited the scene of the crash.

The ferry, built in 2003, had recently undergone a major overhaul.

This included new engines and a new propulsion system, but officials said it was too soon to tell whether the upgrades had played any role in the crash.