A commuter ferry carrying 326 people crashed while pulling into the docks at Lower Manhattan this morning, injuring at least 57 people.

The Seastreak Ferry made a 'hard docking' at Pier 11 just before 9am after it missed one slip and hit another, throwing dozens of people on board forward or to the floor.

Passengers describe mass chaos as they were thrown six feet into the air. Others were thrown down stairs, smashing into windows and hundreds of belongings were strewn all over the upper and lower levels.

Police and firefighters were on the scene and dozens of people who were described as 'hysterical' were taken away in stretchers to nearby hospitals with more being treated at the scene.

The cause of the crash is unknown and an investigation is underway but the captain and crew passed initial breathalyser tests.