Passengers evacuated from Thames cruise boat, bringing back memories of Marchioness

About 35 people were aboard the catamaran on its three-hour trip down river when its rear-end was pierced by the structure, causing the boat to lurch violently to one side.

Passengers who were dancing fell to the ground as drinking glasses and bar casing smashed all over the dance floor while the lights went out, leaving them in pitch blackness.

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The emergency brought back memories of the Marchioness disaster when 51 people drowned on the river.

There were 132 passengers on the pleasure boat when it struck the dredger Bowbelle in 1989. The Marchioness sank under the Cannon Street Railway Bridge. Last night water began cascading onto the lower deck as the boat limped from the middle of the river to Westminster pier, where passengers were evacuated uninjured.

Fire crews then battled to save the stricken vessel as the back-end gradually sank into the Thames.

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It was initially thought that engine failure might have caused the boat to strike the bridge.

Last night, passenger Ajay Jaswal, a property investor, described the impact and the rushed rescue mission. Mr Jaswal, who was celebrating his 29th birthday with his family, said: "We were all dancing to the YMCA when the boat just lurched to one side.

"People just fell to the floor, then glasses smashed around us and the lights went out. "It was really quite frightening. There were lots of elderly people on board who were worried and even the crew were completely panicked.

"They told us all to come to the front of the boat as the back end was sinking but we all managed to get off safely in the end."

His father, Ashok Jaswal, 58, an accountant, added: "Some of the women seemed to really hurt themselves when they fell to the floor.

"We weren't given life jackets which was quite surprising as the boat was really pretty badly damaged. "When we got off, we were told to move away from the wooden pier as if the boat sank, the pier would have probably gone too."

The boat, believed to be operated by City Cruises, had been taking passengers on a four-hour tour of the Thames, from Westminster pier down to Greenwich and back.

Tickets costs £70 and included a five-course dinner and disco.

The vessel, which left at 7pm, was nearing the end of its journey when the drama unfolded at about 10.30pm. A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said: "We were called out to help a passenger cruiser which had a flooded engine room.

"The brigade's fire boat is in attendance, pumping out the stricken vessel. No-one is injured."