The passenger vessel was on its way from Vypin to Fort Kochi when it collided with the country fishing boat at the harbour mouth at around 1.45 pm.
Eight people have died after a ferry with around 30 passengers on board collided with a fishing boat and capsized near Fort Kochi in Kerala on Wednesday afternoon, the police said.
About 20 passengers have been rescued so far by personnel of the Coast Guard, Navy and Marine police with the help of local fishermen, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The passenger boat was on its way from Vypin, a Kochi island, to Fort Kochi when it collided with the country fishing boat at the mouth of the harbour at around 1.45 pm.
The passengers rescued have been taken to hospitals in the city.
A Navy divers team and Chetak helicopters are been deployed in rescue operations, a Navy spokesperson said.